


Centipede whisperer

by TeaSparkles



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Akira acts a bit like a tsundere, Angst, Blood, Cannibalism, Gen, Kagune, Killing, Slow Build, Touka is scared of Hide, a frienship so platonic you'll cry, and thus i name my work dark fluff, centipede!Kaneki, lots of corpses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4074115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaSparkles/pseuds/TeaSparkles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaneki becomes something he definitely didn't want to be. Something even he is scared of. That part of him he can't control takes away his sanity. But Hideyoshi Nagachika is willing to take it back, no matter the price he or somebody else has to pay.</p><p>or</p><p>While using the kakuja Kaneki gives in to his new powers and Hide tries to make Kaneki more accustomed to his new self.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tokyo Ghoul and its characters to belongs its rightful owner, this work is made only for fun.

Dark. It was so dark and scary.

He just wanted it to end.

Suddenly a sunshine hit his eyes making him blind for a moment.

"Let's just go home." 

And it became dark yet again.

~*~

Kaneki didn't open his eyes, it was far too bright. Suddenly he smelled something bitter and sweet in the air...coffee? Coffee and...? Sunflowers? It didn't make any sense.  
After a few minutes he heard loud irregular steps, as if someone was dancing. All he felt was pain but nevertheless he forced himself to sit up and realized he had a really warm blanket put around him.

"Look who's up!" Kaneki heard a cheerful voice he couldn't have ever mistaken. 

"H-Hide?" said Kaneki don't believing what was happening at the moment. 

"Yo Kaneki! I must say you look like a mummy in all these bandages. Makes me wanna take a photo." 

"..." White haired boy didn't answer. He simply couldn't. How is he with Hide? Where are they? What is-

"Ah! I forgot you had bandages over your eyes as well so you can't see yourself." He tried to sound jokingly but Kaneki heard a bit of sadness in his voice.

Then Kaneki heard his footsteps getting closer to him. Soon the bandages on his eyes were gone and he could open his eyes.

White. White ceiling and white walls. The only furniture in the room were an old brown sofa on which Kaneki was currently sitting and a big table in the corner. Papers, posters and instant food cups were practically everywhere. After looking at the messy room white-haired boy's eyes rested on the human before him. Smiling like the sun he was.

"Is your vision okay?" Hide asked, his stare full of concern and care. "You looked quite bad when I found you. And I couldn't get you the hospital because...well." Hide's words falling like a waterfall on Kaneki that simply stares at the blond as if he saw something that no human word can describe. Hide didn't look at Kaneki and simply continued "The only thing I could think of was bringing you to my apartment and using a first aid kit. It didn't help much to be honest but thanks to your healing abilities your wounds are mostly gone. And dude, you regenerate like some freaking lizard. So, how do you feel?"

Kaneki didn't move nor blink. He looked like a scared animal unable to say anything, after a minute or so of half ghoul staring at Hide, Kaneki finally started talking.

"Hide, what happened? Why am I here?" The blond just smiled as if the white-haired boy asked something so casual it doesn't even needs an explanation.

"You remember the Anteiku raid the CCG did? Well, I was there looking for you, as always since you left six months ago..." then he stopped for a moment looking somehow blank but quickly continued "... I heard the infamous Centipede made an appearance so I went straight where I heard you were and then-"

"Why where you looking for me!" Kaneki shouted me suddenly, he could stop shivering an tears started streaming down his cheeks "And why where you with the CCG!?"

Now Hide was looking straight into Kaneki's eyes, no longer smiling, "And what should I have done?” 

The blond stood up raising his voice a little "One day the person I need the most disappears leaving me behind! After the operation you began acting as if you couldn't tell me anything, even after that event with Nishiki you didn't only stop talking to me, you completely separated yourself from me! And I knew what you were, I simply waited. Waited for you to take your time and tell me everything. But then you run away from me. I felt left out. Isn't that enough of a reason to chase you?" 

Kaneki couldn't believe what he was witnessing right then. Hide. His ever composed Hide was angry at him. Eyeing him like a reflection on the water that would disappear any moment. Ready to do whatever it takes to get him back.

"You... knew?" the ghoul said with a trembling voice. 

"Yeah man, I knew you were a ghoul. So what? It doesn't change anything, really. You're still my best buddy." Hide's face was bright as the sun."I checked your apartment last month and because you haven't paid for it for last six months they had moved your things out and tried to sell it. I took the books because I know you would be sad if they had thrown them away.” the blond stopped for a moment then turned to face his friend "So sadly for the time being you will have to live with me." the man grinned.

Kaneki looked at Hide, yet though he could understand every word, he couldn't comprehend its meaning.

"Hide y-you knew that I-I was... a monster... and yet you took me home? And yet you still consider me as your friend?!" The boy just couldn't believe what was happening. He knew that the blond was really accepting, but there's an end to it... right?

"Of course Kaneki... you're my best friend after all…” Hide said smiling peacefully then he added quietly "...and no one's going to take you from me ever again..." Saying that Hide's voice become a bit dark, or maybe that was just Kaneki's imagination.... The blond stopped for a second looking for words apparently, but quickly continued "You don't have to worry about a thing!"

The ghoul relaxed a bit while Hide was talking. Hide knew what he was and still didn't reject him. All that act of keeping Hide in the dark was meaningless, for he knew everything from the beginning. 

Now the thought of him living with Hide could be a possibility. After all the blond knew about what he was and didn't reject him. He could still be his-

"Agh!" Kaneki grabbed his abdomen tightly. He knew what that meant. "No...not NOW!" 

He was hungry.

"H-Hide please go away right now I-I might..." The half ghoul's stomach rumbled abruptly.

"Ah! You're hungry right?" Hide asked in a cheerful tone as if he was talking to a puppy. 

"Wait a moment I'll be back in a second." Then the blond flew out of the room.

Kaneki couldn't even sit straight so instead he laid down on the sofa. The only thoughts in his head was hunger and the need to satisfy it. In this weird haze he could fell his lower back ripping open.

Oh. My kagune is out.

Soon the blond came back with a package in his hands "Yo, Kaneki I got this-"

'Hiiideee..." 

Kaneki was on the floor. Staring at Hide like some crazed wild animal. Hungry crazed wild animal. His centipede-like kagune and the regular rinkaku stretching behind him as if to prepare for an attack. The ghoul's one eye at the centre of a beak-like mask shining black and red.

' His kakuja is out, huh? ' Hide thought calmly. He didn't have much time to stare in awe at his friend when gurgling noises filled the silence of the room. 

"Don't worry 'Neki I got this." The blond said assuring Kaneki and himself both. Then he unwrapped the package, its insides sticking out like a withered flower, though it wasn't a flower, not in the slightest.

Kaneki slowly moved closer to Hide, his appendages ready to strike but somehow they made Hide think of them more as the tails of a curious cat then a deadly weapon.

"Meat..." the white-haired ghoul said, getting closer and closer. His eyes ignoring Hide, now focusing mainly on contents of the package. At first, the blond wanted to throw the meat in the half-ghoul's direction but soon he came to conclusion that Kaneki would receive it as a form of aggression. So there he was. Just standing in the middle of the room with his arms stuck out with contents of the package in his hands. Waiting for the half ghoul to either accept his 'gift' or kill him in an instant.

Kaneki was now a few inches from Hide's hands. Staring into human's eyes looking for any signs of aggression. To show to his animal-like best friend he didn't want to hurt him in the slightest, the blond turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. Not looking directly at the ghoul, Hide meant to show him he's not a threat.

He waited in anticipation for what’s to come. 

Silence, just silence. The only sound Hide could hear was his own beating heart and unsteady breath.

'C'mon Kaneki, I know you won't let me down.' The blond thought. 

After a few minutes he felt that something in his hands is moving. At first Hide thought that was impossible because...well. Contents of the package couldn't move on his own and then it struck him. Kaneki is eating food from his palm.   
The human slowly turned his head so now he could see Kaneki eating, no... devouring the meat. It was just like feeding a wild wolf. Wolf with tentacles and a centipede tail. That sure was not something you see every day.

The half ghoul's rinkaku wraps around Hide's arms and makes them still, making sure he doesn't get away. His centipede-like kagune moves slightly behind, looking as energetic as its owner. Kaneki isn't looking at him, far too focused on eating his tasty treat. At some point the creepy mask disappeared as if it has never existed. The red stream of bloody saliva running down Kaneki's chin slowly but surely made its way to the white shirt Kaneki was currently wearing.

"Hey..." Hide started quietly "...you stained your shirt, you should take it off so I can wash it." 

Kaneki lifted his head up, having remains of his meal stuck to his chin, kakugan glaring straight into blond's eyes and red scale limbs firmly holding Hide in place. For some reason the human found that moment really mystical, like he found a wounded wild beast in the woods, took it home and fed it.

"Thank you, Hide..." Kaneki slowly hanged himself on the blond, seemingly unable to stand.

"You okay there, buddy? You looked like a majestic starving werewolf for a moment." The blond said giggling. He placed the ghoul on his sofa and sat beside him.

"Ugh. Stop it please..." the half ghoul mumbled under his breath becoming as red as a tomato "It...just happens when I'm hungry. More importantly, I didn't hurt you, did I?" Kaneki said looking into human's eyes with concern, scared at the answer at the same time.

"No, you didn't. You should trust yourself more!" the blond said while smiling.

"Hide...i-it's not like that. When my kakuja comes out I can't think straight. Some ghouls I fought with said I act like an animal driven by pure instinct." the ghoul raised his voice "I could have seriously wounded you!" 

Hide leaned closer to Kaneki, hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear "I know you would never hurt me." Then he looked straight into boy's sitting next to him eyes. "And you know it too." The sobbing sounds could be heard from the ghoul, that was clinging to his human with all his might.

"So..." the sentence was stopped by a quiet sob "...will you let the monster I am stay with you?"

It didn't even take a second for the blond to answer "Of course, you didn't even need to ask that."

Hide gently laid down with Kaneki on the couch, having seen how tired, psychically and emotionally, his friend is. The ghoul rested his head on the human's chest, breathing evenly. Hide looked once again at the creature next to him.

'And it doesn't matter if you're a monster'

'A monster is just a really scary wild animal...' 

'...and as every wild animal, you can be tamed.'

 

 

' Wait... ' Kaneki thought while drifting off to sleep ' ...where did Hide get the meat from? '


	2. Chapter 2

Kaneki didn't want to move at all, for he found the place where he was currently laying really warm and comfy. Soon something next to him moved slightly making him want to open his eyes and see what it was. Slowly but surely the ghoul cracked open his eyes and saw Hide's own looking at him with a warm expression.

"You're up, princess?" said the blond, trademark cocky grin on his face.

"...yeah..." the ghoul replied with sleepy indistinct voice rubbing his eyes.

Then Hide with a sleeve of the shirt he had been sleeping in wiped the drool on Kaneki's chin, gaining a shocked expression from the ghoul that slowly changed into embarrassment.

"S-sorry..."

"Nah. It's okay Kaneki. Did you slept well buddy?" the human said while giggling.

"Yes, it was surprisingly good night. Thank you for letting me sleep here..." he trailed off "...and what are you even laughing at?" he said pouting a bit.

"No, It's just...have you seen yourself? Like really, you've got the worst case of bed hear dude!" now the human couldn't stop laughing. 

"Hide..." Kaneki said in a whining voice "...please spare me more embarrassment this morning."

"Okay, okay... Anyway, could you move your thingies away? It's time to get up..." Hide said poking at one of the red appendages that were coming from the ghoul's lower back, clinging to his legs and waist. 

"Ah!" Kaneki nearly jumped realizing his kagune was out. "I'm sorry. Really, really sorry Hide. When I'm asleep they tend to come out on their own." the boy looked remorseful "It won't happen again." and with that he began retreating his rinkaku.

"Stop it." Hide said suddenly in a cold voice that shook the white-haired ghoul in an instant. Then continued in his normal cheerful voice, "Don't take them away from me, they're really cool."  
he continued with a big smirk "...and you don't need to be so cautious about them, they are a part of you after all. One of many parts that makes you what you are. It might sound weird but, is it okay if I touch them? They seem undeniably squishy."  
"I-it doesn't...bother you?" for Kaneki his kagune was a visible reminder that he no longer was human. He couldn't simply accept that Hide isn't even a little taken aback.

"Of course not, and what are you afraid of?" said Hide while squishing and playing with Kaneki's rinkaku. "They are really cool." He said and the end of one of the tentacles curled around human's hand "I think it likes me!" the blond said cheerfully, as if he gained approval from a puppy.

"Hide you embarrass me." said the ghoul turning slightly red.

"Hmmm...are you controlling their movement right now? It must be so hard to move all four limbs at the same time..." 

"I don't control them right now. I wasn't a ghoul from the beginning so I wasn't born with the ability to control them. Now I can fight with them really well but when it comes to things not fight-related they act on their own."

"So it's something like a cat tail!” Hide asked astonished.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"That's so cool man! ...But what about your second kagune, you know that one from yesterday looking like a giant centipede."

"W-well you see...I can't control it well. I feel really dopey using it and can't find differ between friends and enemies so I bring it out only when I have no other choice."

"Hmmm...but it appeared yesterday though..."

"Yes, it happens when I'm...hungry...well, very hungry." the ghoul said looking past Hide not wanting to meet his eyes.

"I get it but what if you weren't cornered? You know, when you don't have to fight or you aren't hungry. What would you do?"

"I don't know Hide, maybe I-"

"If you could control it you would be, like, the strongest ghoul out there, right? And you wouldn't have to be scared of yourself anymore!" Kaneki knew what it meant when Hide becomes so enthusiastic. There is no stopping him now.

"It's easier said than done Hide! I can't simply bring it out right now, not to mention I’m trying to keep my sanity intact. I'm afraid that without somebody supervising me I'll run out and eat somebody as fast as I can.

For a minute, both of them didn't say anything. 

"Then, I'll watch over that part of you." Hide looked straight into Kaneki's eyes the playfulne ss no longer present in hus own.

"Wha...?"

"That's what I mean. If you can't control yourself then I'll just have to take care of it."

"No, Hide it's not safe to be near me in that state. Especially when I'm hungry!" Kaneki nearly shouted. 

"Yeah but look. Yesterday you were hungry AND in your centipede form, yet you only ate the meat I gave you. You didn't even touch me, let alone wound me."

"Well maybe next time it won't end up like that. I really can-!"

"Kaneki!" Hide stopped the ghoul in the middle sentence "It's okay, you should trust yourself more. I can't look at you when you're all shaking and scared thinking about eating or showing me your kagune." Hide said in a soothing voice "And it's really important for you not to be scared of your own nature. I think controlling your ghoul self is the most important step."

"...so, what do you want me to do...?" Kaneki felt a bit defeated.

"Just leave it to me!" the blond said smiling and looking proud. "But now I have to leave you for a few hours, I still go to the baseball club and the training starts soon."

Then Hide noticed that the ghoul looked slightly heartbroken.

"Oh, don't be sad, I'll be back soon! I still have to go to school unlike some ghoul rebel I know..." 

He said picking up a giant bag and wearing sport shoes. While walking to the front door Hide shouted "Maybe you should sleep or something. The time will pass faster this way. Well, see you Kaneki!"

"Okay, see you Hide." Kaneki locked the door and laid on the sofa in the main room.

The white-haired boy was happy that this conversation was finally over. But to tell the truth he was happy that he had as caring friend as Hide. No, caring may be not enough - devoted, yeah that described the human perfectly. 

 

But...did Hide used to play baseball?

~*~

At first the blond thought about talking to Kaneki in his weird state while having his kakuja out, making the ghoul keep his thoughts intact, but hearing about how dopey the kagune makes him feel the blond abandoned that plan.

So in the evening Hide went to a library and borrowed every book on dogs he could find. He came to conclusion that the centipede Kaneki - as he decided to call it for now- acted like some wild animal, so books about dog training would be helpful or at last give him some ideas.

He was walking home with titles like "Positive dog training" or "How to train your dog" and thinking if he should hide them from the ghoul. It wouldn't be good to let his white-haired friend know that he wanted to train him like an animal. 

On his way home Hide started reading the first book, at the beginning it was said about Pavlov reflex and Skinner and Bailey works. It was written that dogs can connect sounds with different things, mostly food. Making it into a reflex to respond to the sound. Thinking about it for a minute he headed to the nearest pet shop and bought a dog whistle - the blond wondered if Kaneki with his super ghoul enhanced senses could hear it and decided that he'll try it out later. The human didn't know what he would use it for yet, but he wanted to be prepared for everything.

When Hide got home he opened the front door slowly, getting into the apartment and looking for Kaneki. The light was switched off making the human worry. Did Kaneki ran away? What if he's gone because he don't want me to-

While walking past the living room in complete dark, he tripped on something making him stop his train of thought. Turning back and focusing on what made him fall he realized the thing was long and thick. Taking it in his hands he quickly recognized it's texture and squeeziness - it was one of Kaneki's rinkaku. He nearly laughed from the euphoria of knowing that his best friend didn't leave him again.

Following the long appendage the blond found its owner, sleeping on the sofa hugging his kagune like pillows. Also, Hide realized that the ghoul had his sweater on him. 

Shit. That's cute. 

He quickly but quietly took his phone out and took a few- ok a lot of pictures. Then he wore his pajamas and laid next to the ghoul trying not to startle him.

Nevertheless Kaneki moved slightly and mumbled into the human’s neck "Welcome back Hide..."

'Yeah..." the blond took one of ghoul's rinkaku and put it under his head as a pillow covering both of them with a big blanket "...and good night buddy."

Kaneki didn't respond, he was fast asleep probably. 

Sleep well... after all, tomorrow will be a very tiring day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your feedback. I'm so happy you liked this work. Next chapter will be a bit intense so prepare yourselves! ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me, can you tell me where is Amon Kotarou accommodated?"

An old women sat behind a big wooden desk full of papers at reception. She tried to make herself look occupied, so she could finish the coffee she had badly hidden from visitors.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" she said reproachfully "I don't have time to tell every mom that comes to her son with broken leg where her kid's room is!"

"I'm deeply sorry ma'am, But-"

"What? You're still here-?" with that she lifted her head up from the documents. In an instant she realized what a mistake it was to ignore that person. "Ah. A-Amon Kotarou was it?' She said nervously checking something on a computer all of sudden. "He's in room number 314."

"Thank you very much." and having said that the woman headed towards the shown direction.

"Y-yeah, have a good day."

 

"...damn investigators, thinking everybody has as much free time as they do..." the old hag muttered to herself.

~*~

Amon Kotarou had been laying in a hospital bed for... how long exactly? He didn't know answer to that question. After the operation he was almost constantly on painkillers making the time pass either slowly or in a blink of an eye. It was really confusing and irritating not being able to do a thing by yourself, even simple activities like standing up or holding chopsticks, let alone fighting the monsters the ghouls were. 

And now that big muscular man was tied to the bed like an old gramps for at least a week.

"May I go in?" a muffled voice came from behind the room's he was currently in door.

His doctor has just left so who else would visit him so early? Shinohara and Juuzo usually came around 8 p.m., right after finishing their work. Everybody he knew worked right now so who-"

"AMON KOUTAROU, MAY I COME IN?" He was so lost in his thoughts that he forgot to actually answer. 

"Yes..." the man nervously coughed "...please come in." 

The door opened revealing a young beautiful blond woman in a very formal clothes.

"Akira? What are you doing here? Don't you have to like...work right now?"

"Thank you for your concern. And it's not that I don't have to work right now, I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, you're such a joy killer, I wanted to ask how you feel and such, but all you talk is work..." she send an unamused glance toward him.

"So, will you finally tell me?" because of the medicine, Amon felt very tired and didn't have enough strength for pointless chit-chats.

"Ah, yes. Remember that time when you were fighting with the Centipede while the Anteiku raid took place?"

"You mean the ghoul that cut my whole right arm off. Yes, I do. And what about it?" the curiosity began to dull the sleepiness that tried to overtake him.

"After leaving you bleeding to death he run and in the end the CCG couldn't find him. It's really important for us to find the Centipede. Our scientists checked the blood sample he left - thanks to you - all over the battleground, and found out that the RC count in his blood is more than abnormal. Earlier he was just a half kakuja but the recent studies say that it's almost complete. This means he's a big threat to society and must be eliminated as soon as possible, before he becomes a full kakuja."

Amon listened to the woman with great interest. "And what role in this whole thing do I have?"

Akira looked at Amon in almost angry way for interrupting her story "Well, a lot of our men said that while fighting the Centipede you were on equal grounds with him, not to mention some say that you even tried to reason with the ghoul. That's why you have been paired up with me to accomplish the mission of defeating or capturing that monster."

"...defeating or capturing?" Amon thought aloud not even noticing it.

"Some of the higher ups want to catch him and experiment on him, he's a very peculiar sample, isn't he? The Centipede's nearly a kakuja after all."

Although he didn't want the Eyepatch- no the Centipede to be, let's be honest, killed in that inhuman way, the man wanted to meet the ghoul again though he couldn’t say why. "So, when do we start."

"Once your arm is usable again. Honestly, you were so lucky that the paramedics were right at the place when it happened."

"It will take a while, I'm afraid" Amon said with a sad smile, looking at his right arm with a big scar on the shoulder.

"So, can I say I have vacations for now?"

The investigator didn't respond, just turn to the wall so he would show Akira he want some time to think about it.

"Okay, I'll be going then. And remember, don't strain yourself, we don't want your arm to fall off after some insane work out session." and having said that the woman left.

Hey Centipede...Did you really survive that night? 

~*~

"H-Hide I still think it's a bad idea."

"We have to do it somehow. It's your first time after all."

"But I don't know what I might do later on!"

"Just trust me Kaneki.” said the blond pinning the ghoul to his wardrobe with ropes and some chains he found in the attic.

"Okay, Hide..." Kaneki took a deep breath "...I trust you." the previously anxious ghoul became a little more relaxed. Right now he was wearing some old sweatpants and a white t-shirt with some stains caused by Hide, probably after eating pizza in the most messy way possible. The blond decided that while getting his plan into action the white-haired boy should wear clothes that weren't needed. The human was a student after all, he couldn't manage buying new shirts every time Kaneki decides to use his kagune, but today's case was special.

Some struggle with ropes later, the human finally asked "So, what do I do next?"

"I'm going to take my rinkaku out and you have to pin them down as well."

"Why should I immobilize your regular kagune though?"

Kaneki looked at hide a bit ashamed "If I won't be able to control myself while changing into my kakuja form I can unintentionally turn to shreds all of the things in this room and...better safe than sorry I guess." he said smiling.

The blond kneeled next to the wardrobe, reaching for the red appendages.

"If you say so buddy..." The kagune greeted the human by wrapping around his hands as soon as the boy touched them. Hide shocked at first soon started petting them just as they liked, making the squishy limbs even more clingy. 

"Hide, may I ask what are you doing?" The white- haired boy asked raising his eyebrows at the view in front of him. 

"Oh...sorry, I just...I kinda like them. They're really cute." 

Kaneki blushed a bit at the statement "Don't be ridiculous, how something like that can even be called cute..."

'Well, that's because they are part of you!" Hide said smoothly. 

"Stop saying nonsense and finish tying me up!" shouted the ghoul blushing furiously. 'Damn can he stop making me blush all the time?' 

"... There! I finally finished!" the blond announced so proudly as if he just raced all the exams in Kamii.

"Okay, thank you." The ghoul tried to move a bit, it was futile thought. "You did really good job, and...do you have what I asked for?"

"The meat you mean? Wait a bit, I'll go fetch it." the human went to the kitchen and opened a refrigerator pulling out a big bowl filled with some all gross, red and bloody stuff that smelled like iron. Hide stared at its contents for a moment and then headed back to his bedroom.

"I'm back. Can we start?" Hide looked so excited that even though at the beginning Kaneki didn't really want to do what Hide had in mind, but now he couldn't just say no to him.

"Yes, just... I was curious for a while now. Hide, where do you get the meat from?" Kaneki asked.

The human stiffened and slowly, as if weighting every word finally said "When I found you in the sewers while the Anteiku Raid, I thought you'll need something to eat to recover." he smiled softly "there were corpses nearly everywhere so it wasn't a problem to get the food for you."

Kaneki wanted to believe his best friend, though he knew thanks to his enhanced senses that the meet smelled far too fresh to be at last three days old. But when he met Hide's caring eyes the ghoul decided not to press further. He'll ask him about it later. 

"Okay, I think I'm ready. I'm going to say it last one time though, don't try anything that can make me hurt you. I'll try to be as calm as I can." and quietly added "If something goes wrong run from the apartment as fast as you can."

"I get it Kaneki." The blond pretended he didn't hear the last sentence "So how are you going to do it?" asked the boy seriously interested. He hadn't ever read a book on ghouls that would contain any information about kakujas. How would his friend pull it off, he wondered.

"It's all about the mind, like I have a to have a really strong resolve to make it go out. That's why you've got to be quiet for a bit so I can concentrate."

"But what is the meat for then?"

"It...helps. Especially the smell." Kaneki couldn't really explain it to the human well enough, but Hide seeing his internal struggle didn't try to make Kaneki say more.

"...so are we starting or..."

"Yeah..." the ghoul said nervously "...let's start."

~*~

'I told Hide that it's all about the mind, but what am I supposed to do?' Thought the ghoul while his friend put a little chunk of meet right next to his feet, then went to the furthest part of the room - just as Kaneki had instructed him. 'Got to focus now. But how should I start?' In an instant the rich smell of human flesh gained his attention, feeling his hunger raising up he closed his eyes. 

'Ahh...I can't ever get enough of that smell...That taste...'

'I haven't eaten much recently...only that amount of meat I needed to heal my wounds.'

'Uh...How good it would feel if I sank my teeth in this ambrosia....'

'Tear it, and eat it, and devour-'

'No! That's not what I want right now!' The ghoul tried to maintain his sanity.

"...then what do you ( I ) want?" he heard a weak voice in his subconscious.

"Huh...what...?"

"...just answer me..."

"...I want the power, the power to protect."

"Protect, protect, protect...." the voice steadily becoming more and more loud and clear "Who do you want to protect?" It laughed. "Humans? Ghouls? Your friends at Anteiku? Everybody? Hahaha... you should already know that you can't save everyone." It mocked him. It felt as if the voice was coming from the void right behind his eyes. "Remember 'choosing both, losing both'? It's the same. Actually-"

"No."

"...huh?" Now the voice sounded confused.

"I don't want to protect everyone. I just want Hide to be safe, just him. Right now he's the only one who matters to me, he's my light, my sun in this dark world, my best friend. And that's why I have to protect him."

"But what about your poor friends, fragile humans and persecuted ghouls though? Don't you pity them? Don't you want to save them all?" One red and black eye appeared right in front of his face eyeing him viciously . "Protect just him and no one else? Isn't that...cruel?" It smirked.

Kaneki lifted his head up, looking into that pitch-black iris with a cold stare and said with even and confident voice "That's right but I don't care if it's cruel. All I have to do is to protect him and him alone."

~*~

Hide had been staring at the ghoul for nearly half an hour now and to be honest he didn't know if he should be happy that nothing had happened yet or not. Still, he couldn't leave Kaneki alone even for a moment, for he knew that things could get out of hands in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly the ghoul began to move slightly, a deep scarlet red liquid started to pour out of his back taking a shape well known by Hide. 

"Oh shit, it's really happening..." the human muttered to himself, looking at the white-haired boy somehow expectantly and terrified at the same time.

When the mask finally formed and his kagune appeared in all its glory, Hide expected Kaneki to go on rampage or something, but nothing like it happened. The ghoul stood with his head down, not even attempting to break the restraints.

"K-Kaneki...?" The blond muttered hesitantly. "You okay there, buddy...?" he tried again not gaining any attention from his friend. "Oi, Kaneki, are you even listening to me?" Hide said, a bit irritated of being ignored.

But then in a moment the ghoul raised his head, looking right at the boy in front of him with his one lone eye. To tell the truth Hide flinched a bit at that. 'Don't be scared. He’s your best friend and you shouldn't be scared of him!' The blond nearly shouted at himself.  
Interrupting his train of thought, the ghoul started sniffing the air like a dog looking for a treat. 

Right, the meat.

Kaneki looked down at his feet where the flesh was placed by the blond. Tearing all the ropes and chains in an instant he bent down taking the meat in his hand, lifting it to his hidden mouth and eating it without a second thought.

 

'Ok, so now the real thing begins.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait for the next chapter. Wait, what do you mean I have to write it?


	4. Chapter 4

The red eye was staring at the human with evident curiosity in it. The centipede-like kagune swirling behind the ghoul as he was standing still in place right after breaking out of his shackles. Hide's mind was blank the moment.

Earlier he had had something in mind, he wouldn't dare to call it a plan but it was something worth a shot. But having seen his friend gaping at him like a predator would at a rabbit, the human wasn't so sure of himself anymore.

"K-Kaneki..." the blond said under his breath, not knowing if he should even try to communicate with the animal. 

Suddenly Kaneki's kagune laid down on the fluffy orange carpet beneath him with a loud thud. Hide had nearly suffered a heart attack at the unexpected movement. The blond couldn't simply get his thoughts together so he was simply staring at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. The ghoul was bending slowly down still facing the scarred blond, kind of like dogs do when they feel threatened or confused.

'Is he trying to attack me?' Hide started to panic, though he didn't showed it, at last he tried to keep his best poker face on. 'So what should I do now-'

For a second the ghoul looked away from the human glancing at something behind him. This behavior made Hide curious and even though he was scared shitless the human bent his head to the side, looking in the same direction as his friend. All he found was the big bowl on the cupboard next to a closed door.

'Still hungry huh...' the blond gathered up all the courage he could '...it seems it's now or never. '

Hide turned on his heels towards the bowl, undeniably making the ghoul more anxious than he already was. Taking a chunk of meat in his hand Hide headed towards Kaneki trying to look more confident in his actions than he really was. It seemed that his best friend had no clue what the person in front of him was or wanted to do, so he simply stared at the human awaiting some kind of movement that may mean the person is a threat to him. 

But nothing like that happened, instead the blond sat in the middle of the bedroom with his hands outstretched towards the ghoul, full of human flesh.

Much to Hide dismay his friend didn't move an inch, instead he simply stared at Hide and the contents of his hand. When that awkward situation lasted for enough time to make Hide realize that Kaneki won't attack him, the human decided to try something that worked the last time perfectly.

The blond took a deep breath and closed his eyes...

Right away a quiet rattling right next to him could be heard, it sounded as if a lot of tiny feet moved in an irregular and beautiful dance. Kaneki's centipede kagune huh...

The oh too familiar feeling of contents of his hands moving brought him back to reality. The blond slowly opened his eyes only to see his best friend eating the meat in a messy way. It was somehow cute, like a big kitty being fed with tasty treat, though the treat was... Ok! Let's not go there!

First step achieved, the blond thought and prepared mentally for what he's going to do next. With sweet and caring voice Hide said to the ghoul "Kaneki, buddy, can you understand me?" Said boy raised his head and looked right into Hide's eyes with his own, then suddenly jumped back looking scared for his life. 

"...no, shhhh Kaneki it's okay..." the blond shushed the ghoul in the way a stranger would calm a wild dog down. " Come here...I won't hurt you, look I've got something you like..." Hide took a bit of meat yet again and sat in the exact same place as earlier. This time the blond just smiled keeping the eye contact with his lovely animal, continuing to calm him with his caring voice.

Slowly but surely Kaneki moved nearer Hide still looking right into his eyes, the human knew that this moment was essential in his plan so he shouldn't make any sudden movement, because startling the ghoul right now may have...rather unpleasant consequences. Soon his very own centipede reluctantly came closer and kneeled next to the sitting Hide. Still observing him warily. His kagune moved on its own, making a circle around the human. The owner of said appendages started eating again with pleasant expression, or at least something that looked like it. How should Hide know considering the ghoul still had his mask on. Nevertheless the feeling of animal side of Kaneki trusting him was enough to make the human's heart skip a bit and have that bubbly feeling inside his belly.

After finishing the meal Kaneki looked kind of lost, Hide noticed. It wasn't something he didn't expect, after all every time the Centipede came out the ghoul was in grave danger dying either from hunger or numerous wounds. But now the Kaneki didn't have to fight nor run, it was just so weird to see the SS rated threat to society looking around the room as if a puppy being outside for the first time.

The kagune slightly tightened around the human enough to make Hide feel warmth radiating from it but not to feel uncomfortable. Focusing on the appendage he didn't notice when Kaneki moved closer to him.

"W-what are you doing..."

The ghoul started to loudly sniff the air then came even nearer to the human looking at his clothes as if Hide had something to eat in them.

'... no, Kaneki. I don't have more..." Okay, maybe I have but I plan on living a little longer.

"Oi! Ka-ne-ki! Can you understand me?" The blond said being tired of Kaneki ignoring him.

The ghoul just tilted the head to one side.

'Ugh it's gonna be problematic then...' the blond remembered the last time he saw his best friend in this state, he knew the ghoul can talk, though the things he was saying back then weren't... something he would like to hear from Kaneki. 

'But then, he should at least understand simple words-'

Suddenly the human felt himself falling back and stopped by something rigid - the ghoul's kagune he supposed. The thing, or rather person, that made him lose balance was in half laying half sitting position similar to his own. Kaneki rested his head on blond's chest sniffing the air between his breaths. In this complete silence filling the room Hide could only hear his pounding heart, Kaneki's calm breath and...some weird vibrations coming from ghoul's ribcage. It was like snoring but really quiet and continuous like...no, was...was Kaneki purring?! Can centipedes even purr?! The blond would check this out later for sure.

Hide didn't really know what made Kaneki so relaxed all of sudden. A minute earlier the ghoul was ready to eat him alive now he had his best friend nearly laying on him.

It was quite comfortable, being held by Kaneki's big kagune and its owner. The only thing that gave him creeps in this domestic situation was the single eye in the center of the ghoul's mask. It didn't close even after the blond touched it, like a thing from a horror movie he liked so much. Though he didn't have popcorn... and it wasn't a movie. 

"...Hi...de..." The ghoul mumbled into blond's shirt.

"Kaneki?" Hide didn't believe his ears. Kaneki recognized him? "Hey, what's wrong buddy?"

"...Hide." the ghoul turned on the human’s belly so now he was looking straight into his eyes.

"Yes, that's me." Hide knew that sounded dumb but what was he supposed to say?

'But again, what would make Kaneki remember his name it this state, the only thing Hide did were giving him food and cuddling. At the last part though the ghoul behaved really unusual sniffing the air around him and putting his head on his chest...'

' Ah...so it's the smell.'

The human let himself and his best friend lay a bit, mainly to reduce the tension. 

Ten minutes,

thirty minutes,

a whole hour and the ghoul still didn't show any signs of wanting to get of the blond soon.

"Buddy, can we move? I think my left hand just fell asleep."

Kaneki opened the kagune cocoon he made himself still not wanting to let the human go.

"So at last I know you won't attack me, which is good, but how should we put your kagune back in...?" That was a real problem, the blond thought the whole training thing, but how was he supposed to know that the kagune won't disappear on its own?!

"...Hide?" the ghoul said with concern audible in his voice.

"Nah Kaneki, it's okay. You don't happen to know how to get you back to your normal state, do you?"

"..."

"I thought so... Well, for know all we can do is wait and maybe something comes to my mind..." the blond thought aloud. "But what are we supposed to do until then? Going outside isn't an option, though I would like to see people freaking out when seeing you in a dark alley." He chuckled. " So I think we're home stuck for today, until I think of a way to change you back...." 

Kaneki didn't respond he simply cuddled up in Hide's shirt again. It would be very pleasant and welcomed only if the floor wasn't so cold and his legs numb from sitting.

"At least let me make it to the sofa man, it's so uncomfortable here."

The human could swear he saw annoyance in Kaneki's eye. Though unwillingly his friend finally stood up letting the blond to do the same and after a short stretching session Hide went to the living room and laid on the sofa.

The ghoul like a lost puppy followed the human willingly. Hide found it really funny, especially when he pretended to sleep. Kaneki not knowing what to do sit on the sofa next to Hide and laid his kagune around the human like a shield. The ghoul rested his head on armrest and fell asleep.

That peaceful evening ceased to exist when Hide decided to touch Kaneki's kagune. It wasn't something he was planning on doing. Just having the weird appendage right before him was so tempting he couldn't help himself. At first he thought feeling up the leg-like outgrowths would be enough to reduce his curiosity. Oh how wrong he was. 

Once the human touched Kaneki's kagune it moved slightly in response to the human's warm hands. It was hard, smooth not squishy in the slightest unlike his regular rinkaku. 

'How does it move, it doesn't even have joints...' the human murmured to himself while inspecting the centipede kagune even further. His hand traveled up to something that would be called a body segment in an animal anatomy dictionary. Moving his hands up he touched the ghoul's back where his kakuja kagune was connected to his flesh. 

At this exact moment Kaneki jumped off of the sofa, surprised by the humans touch that had woke him up.

The ghoul sat in the middle of the room, looked at Hide and turned to a cupboard.

'Don't tell me...he's angry?'

The human stood up and moved closer to Kaneki. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" 

The white-haired boy turned yet again and made a wall out of his kagune.

"Oi...don't be angry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable..."

"C'mon, Kaneki please just hear me out." Having said that, the human noticed that the appendage was gradually falling to the ground revealing the ghoul sitting in the middle of it. Looking at him with a hurt stare.

"I just wanted to touch your kagune, it's not something you see every day after all... and it's a part of you that I want to understand better." 

The ghoul sighted and came closer to the human. Now both of them were sitting on the floor. After a few minutes of silence the blond decided to ask Kaneki a brave question.  
"C-can I...t-touch your mask...?" the blond stuttered " It looks really awesome and I kinda want to see it up close..."  
The ghoul didn't answer, he simply lowered his head to blond's hands letting him touch his mask.  
Hide poked the mask with his finger as gently as he could " Wow, it's really hard, like it's made out of metal...can it be taken off though...?" The human reached towards the parts near Kaneki's ears where it looked like the mask ended. Right after pulling it off of ghoul's face without any force at all, the mask disappeared into thin air. At this moment the human started to panic.

"Kaneki! I-I think I've just broken it! Damn, where the fuck did it go?!" the blond turned to the ghoul scared like never before. 

He was met with a warm caring gray eyes.

"What's wrong Hide?" 

"W-Wait...what?"


	5. Chapter 5

"What happened Hide?"

The gorgeous gray eyes were looking straight into his. His hair, white and disheveled and the look on his face, oh so wonderful, with the red leftovers from his previous meal still attached to his chin. Hide wants this moment to last forever but he didn't want to keep the ghoul in anxiety...

"Kaneki...um. How should I start?" The blond said scratching head. "A lot has happened this day and I just don't have any more strength to think about every weird thing. Especially about the mask thing." 

The human just sat on his sofa facing the ghoul, needlessly trying to comprehend what has happened earlier. Then he felt a firm weight make a depression next to him. Hide feeling exhausted after doing probably the most ridiculous and dangerous thing in his life wanted to rest for a bit. All of the adrenaline disappeared leaving a nice feeling of satisfaction and sleepiness.

"So Hide, can you tell me how the, um...training went? I didn't do anything that hurt you did I?" the ghoul frowned.

"Nah dude, you were the cutest centipede I have ever seen, trust me." the human said winking charmingly, or at least trying to do so.

Kaneki blushed furiously and looked to the side embarrassed like never before.

'How can he say something like that to an SS rated ghoul that can easily kill him?'

"Hide! S-Stop it! It's not funny! Tell me how was it."

"It went really smoothly. Really. You were all clingy~" the blond made a gesture with his hands similar to that of a kid seeing a puppy for a first time. 

"Can you stop? I wasn’t controlling myself, it's not my fault!"

"So that's what would happen if you got drunk huh..." The boy said with the most serious expression he could afford.

"Not funny!" Kaneki practically yelled jumping at the sofa - and precisely on Hide.  
The ghoul sit down in Hide's lap stared into his eyes with great care. "So I really didn't hurt you." It was half a question half announcement, which apparently surprised even the ghoul himself, judging from his amazed voice.

"No buddy, like I said nothing like that happened...tho it was close..."

"What?"

"Nothing! Anyway now I'm really tired. Taming a centipede wasn't a simple task even for Hide the Great so I'm afraid you'll have to wait 'till tomorrow to hear the whole story." Having said that the human laid down on the soft cushions placing his friend right beside him. "I think I'm gonna take a nap now. It's late but if you want to you can read a book or something now, Kaneki."

The ghoul laid his head next to Hide's. "I'm a bit tired as well. Hope you don't mind me sleeping here." 

"Of course not! Just, I think we need something to cover ourselves with. I'm afraid I'll be cold in a few hours." The human started to move, intending to fetch a blanket, it wasn't really that he wanted to, he just knew that unlike his best friend he would get ill quickly. Suddenly Kaneki only with his hand made Hide lay down in his previous position next to the white haired boy. "Kaneki, I really have to get them, man." 

"You don't have to."

“Yes, I do. I know you don't want me to move but I-"

"I think you don't understand." The ghoul raised his head and popped his index finger. At the sudden sound Hide felt something warm emerge from his ghoul's back. "I said you don't need to." 

Two, four, six...no.  
Eight appendages! 

How did that even happen? The human didn't have time for thinking about the marvelous limbs because soon said kagune wrapped around them as the blond stared in awe. They were warm, maybe even hot and laying covered in them was probably the most relaxing experience in his life.

"Kaneki, where did you get four bonus tentacles?"  
"Huh?" Kaneki turned his head trying to look at his lower back that looked like a snake nest right now. "I-I don't know. Maybe it happened because of using my kakuja..."

"Wow, that's really freaking awesome. But no matter how awesome it is I really want to sleep right now. We'll discuss all the 'Why?'s tomorrow ok? Now, give me more of that tentacle heater."

"They're not..." yawn "...tentacles..." the ghoul said cuddling intothe pillows next to the human.

"Whatever you say buddy..." the human murmured under his breath hugging Kaneki's kagune closer. "...whatever you say."

~*~

The next day was rather pleasant. In the morning they ate breakfast. Well Hide did, Kaneki simply drank his coffee. It's quite easy to understand why though, yesterday he ate his full, but honestly that may be an understatement. In the end the ghoul devoured - because that's the only way to describe it - meat which amount was equal to half of the human body. Where did Kaneki manage to store it was a real mystery even to the ghoul himself.

In the afternoon the pair talked for a few hours about what had happened the day before, not sparing any details. At the beginning of the story Kaneki was ashamed of his actions and sad, from time to time angry at Hide for his recklessness while managing him. But! When the story began to be interesting, meaning Kaneki becoming Hide's exclusive domestic centipede the ghoul was blushing furiously hearing his ministrations.

"...and then you cuddled with me like a cat. You were really cute!"

"Please, stop. Hide, spare me the embarrassment. You know when I'm in this state I behave instinctively." 

"Okay, okay. So now you mostly know what happened yesterday. Now can I ask you some questions?"

"What for?"

"To improve our training of course!"

"To what? You mean we'll be doing it again and again?"  
"And what did you think Kaneki? You can't tame any animal in one day. So, do you remember anything?"

"Mostly emotions, at the beginning I felt confused and a bit scared, but then something changed. I remember chewing on something delicious and heard, no I smelled you and I guess it put my mind at ease. After that I recall laying next to you and soon after everything ended."

"It was when I took your mask off...Ok I get it. Now one more thing." The human took his dog whistle out and went out of the room so Kaneki won't see him. 

"Hide, what are you even doing?"

"Wait for a bit, 'k?"

He took a big gulp of air in his lungs and blew with all his might into the whistle. He didn't know if it worked, no matter how much he tried he didn't hear anything, unlike his pet ghoul apparently.

" Hide! What is this noise! How can it be so loud, make it stop!" 

Hide happily came back to the room and sit next to Kaneki. The said boy looked at him with big round eyes asking for an explanation.

"The fuck was that?"

"That's not important for now, but it will help greatly in the future." Seeing Hide grinning the ghoul knew he wasn't going to get his answer right away. 

"Anyway do you want to watch TV for a bit? And I'll make you coffee. How does it sound?"  
"Good. But I'll do our coffee, yours tastes terrible."  
"Oh I'm sorry I'm not good enough for your sophisticated taste buds!" with a dramatic pout the human laid on the sofa and switched the TV on, watching Kaneki prepare their coffee. He had great plans in his head already, but for now he just wanted to enjoy his little piece of heaven in his own apartment.

~*~

"Investigator Amon, Investigator Akira, you're both dismissed"

With a poker face and a bow they exited the enormous room. Walking fast through black and white corridors gaining weird looks from everybody they passed.

"How can just tell us to look around the 20th ward and gain information, isn't it the job of the bureau investigators?"

"Calm down Investigator Amon, we can't help it. After the Anteiku Raid we're short on manpower, so they use every possible person. What amazes me is that they send us to the field without any accurate intel on the possible location of the Centipede."

"Yes. At least they let me take the Arata Proto in case of urgency. They only thing that occupies my mind is what should we do when we come there." The man said while walking towards nearest train station. "I think even the CCG is basing everything on its poor instincts right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you hear about the last murder case in that ward?"

"No, please do excuse me but I didn't have as much free time as you did lately."

Amon send the pretty blond woman an unamused glance.

"It's said that they've found four corpses lacking their body parts in dark alleys and such."  
"Do you think it was Centipede's work, Amon?"

They finally entered a train heading north west, and sit comfortably on the seats.

"To tell the truth, I think It's not the Eyepatch."

Akira turned his head to face Amon sting next to her with a cold yet curious stare.  
"Eyepatch...?"

"C-Centipede, I meant the Centipede."

"And why do you think so?"

"I've fought with him a few times and I know he doesn't want to harm humans, not to mention kill them."

"How would you know all of people. He's just a ghoul isn't he?"

 

Please,

Don't make me kill a human.

Go!

 

 

“He's not that kind of person. I think." He murmured to himself.

"We'll see about that. Anyway we'll arrive in a few minutes. It's already dark so I suggest to start the investigation tomorrow and simply head toward our hotel."

"Um, yes of course...wait. What hotel?"

"This case will take a while, so I decided to live in a hotel for a while," 

"We'll share the cost, 50:50 right?"

"What do you mean investigator Amon." She turned on her heels right in front of him. "You're not only the older one but a man as well. Won't you show a bit of your gentleman side and pay it yourself?"

The male investigator just sighed and both of them got out of the train.

'Why does she do that every time?'

~*~

'The CCG has reported that on south of the 20th ward four dead bodies with chunks of their flesh missing were found in dumpsters and dark alleys nearby. It seemed that the bodies were cut with a knife but rumor has it that they were massacred with hands or sharp teeth alone. More details will be published tomorrow after the dissection. It's said that it's a work of a ghoul that escaped from the Anteiku Raid. Some say it might be even the infamous Centipede who have fled from the place of the event as well. In later news...'

"Hide, that's near us..."

The blond didn't show any emotions. 'Weird' Kaneki thought.

'...Yeah, scary isn't it." He said half-heartedly. 

" Not scary, rather...this fool is going to draw attention to our neighborhood, that's not good..."

"...Can you help it though? He must have been really hungry..." The human was probably considering every possibility.

" I don't think so. If I were really hungry I would eat him whole. " Kaneki grinned maliciously at his friend. "Not leaving a single trace." For once in his lifetime Kaneki wanted to scare Hide or at least make him lost for words. Hide stopped talking all of sudden, his face expressionless like never. Slowly he lifted his head to look into Kaneki's eyes.

'Oh, can't believe it actually wor-'  
"Can ghouls even eat all human? Like, I get the meat, guts and all the meaty parts, but can they eat the nails, hair and bones as well?"

‘What…’

" Hide. You're not grossed out even a-"

"That would be fucking awesome!" the blond shouted "Like, imagine - you go to your favorite restaurant and order...ribs for example. You can eat it whole! No more struggling with biting the wrong and right places! So anyway what was I talking about? Ah, yes. Can ghouls eat bones?"

The bright warmness in Hide's honey eyes was like headlights for Kaneki. His friend wasn't even a bit taken aback by his comment. It only made him more curious. And that's exactly what he loved in Hide, his acceptance and caring, and a bit of foolishness as well.

"Hay, Kaneki! " The blond crawled even closer on their unbelievably small sofa " So how is it? "

"I can never win with you, can I...? " the boy muttered to himself. "Yes Hide, ghouls eat bones as well, they're a bit dry, quite tasteless and hard but we can eat them."

"..."

"What?"

"Kaneki, buddy. How strong your teeth and jaws are?"

"That's genuinely the weirdest question anybody has ever asked me. But they must be at last as good as those of a hound."

"Damn, that's sick buddy! Anyway. I've been wondering for a while, does the taste of flesh depends on the place the meat is taken from?"

"Are you a sociopath? Where do these questions come from?" Still red as a tomato ghoul pouted loudly. 

"Are you kidding me? Are you going to tell me that even before you haven't actually wondered about it?"

"Hide. No. I haven't thought about the taste of human flesh before...this. Do you think it's weird?"

"Totally buddy. Though now you can make up for it." The blond grinned at his friend. He had a point to be honest. "So the answer for my question is...?

"Of course it depends on the body part Hide. Ghouls prefer flesh that is less fat and more bloody. And the age of the person also makes a difference. Their lifestyle, if they drink alcohol or smoke."

"You know so much it actually makes me scared, and yet you were the one that said you wouldn't think about eating a human."

"H-Hide! I heard all this things from other ghouls! I don't eat humans if I can so. "

"...Then what do you usually eat? You can't sustain on coffee, can you?"

"I...feed on ghouls, mostly." The way the boy said, his body language, everything let Hide know that he shouldn't press this matter. Kaneki finally started to talk about his other nature, so the blond didn't want to startle him.

Let's change the subject then.

"Do ghouls like, have they favorite parts of something?"

"Huh? Sure. Everybody got their own taste, don't they? With ghouls it's the same. For example I know one that like especially eyes, he tended to chew on the muscles at their backs, the other one always went for the arms..." He looked at Hide and quickly regained his composure. "I-I'm sorry, it's probably very gross for you to listen about that kind of thing..."

"No! No! It's interesting! Tell me more c'mon 'Neki. It's probably a knowledge even the CCG doesn't have. Tell me more!"

"O-Ok...who else..." the ghoul stared at the ceiling for a moment "Ah! How could I forget about him while talking about food. "My friend whom I fought with side by side - The Gourmet. He eats only the parts of humans he finds suitable for his tastes usually leaving the prey alive. He was a pretty twisted guy at the beginning but with time he changed, matured I think." his yes dropped to his hands "I wonder if everybody's okay..."

 

Kaneki.  
No.  
You can't.  
Don't think about them.  
I won't allow it.

 

"I'm sure they are! Anyway you can't go out of my apartment until everything quiets down. You've just survived something that can't be described with words and I don't want you to run into the CCG again, you know that right, Kaneki?"

"Yeah...I have to wait a little until the whole thing cools down, I think it will take a week though..."

"...Kaneki, can I ask you about something? As a close friend?"

The air around Hide became really thick, he atmosphere somehow dark. 

"What is it Hide?" The white haired boy said swallowing loudly.

"You...well, as a ghoul yourself do you have a favorite part of a human body?"

Kaneki suddenly became really red yet again. 'Cute' Hide thought. How bashful can this dangerous evil entity to mankind possibly be?  
"Kaneki? Everything's okay?" The human finding the situation very amusing wanted to tease his best friend a bit. He would always do that back when Kaneki was that kind of person you can easily mess with. Well he's not like that anymore, but from time to time the blond finds his friend behaving like his past self again. It was somehow nostalgic. Precious.

"Yeah. It's fine. I-I l-like...um" 

One nervous cough later.

"I like to e-eat-" the ghoul tried to sound still "-meat that's next to the throat..." The last part was so quickly spoken Hide nearly didn't hear it.

"Huh... so you go for the neck. And why is that?" The human leaned impossibly closer to the ghoul letting him have a nice view of his neck and shoulders. Kaneki was hypnotized, looking at the junction between the neck and shoulders. For a minute or so the ghoul just stared in awe at the skin stretched on human's neck, moving in time with his breathing.

"So why is it?" The blond whispered as if it was some kind of secret.

"The flesh there is really warm, also the scent is the stronger here..." 

... 

"Kaneki. Oi. Earth to Kaneki?"

The ghoul calmly raised his head.

"Yes Hide?" The ghoul said with mismatched eyes and an absent-minded smile.

"Dude, are you narcotized by my scent?"

"What? No." He huffed turning his head.

"Kaneki. I've got to go to school in a few minutes you know."

"School?"

"Yes, school. I've been on sick leave but from today on I have to go back to school and work."  
The blond stood up from the sofa leaving the ghoul with quite an unhappy expression. He couldn't help it though. He's been lazing for a week now. Money isn't going to rain from the clouds. Sad, isn't it?

"Don't go." In a second Hide could feel Kaneki's kagune surrounding him. Ugh. Not good. He didn't have time to think and just went for it running to the door as fast as he could. 

"Oh yeah, forgot my bag." There was no escape when he turned. The eight appendages glowing like lamps made of blood wrapped around him making him loose his balance. Soon he, the ghoul and his beautiful long limb were laying on the floor. Taking his time Kaneki slowly crept towards human's throat, he was stopped by a gentle hand though.

"Hide." The ghoul said in nearly whiny voice. 

"No. Kaneki seriously, I have to go. As much as I would like to stay here with you and let you do whatever you were doing right now I've places to be and things to do."

Kaneki knew he wasn't going to win this fight. So reluctantly he began to retract his kagune and help Hide stand up. Much to his freakish ghoulish instincts dismay he let the human get his big blue sports bag and a usual school bag.

"Club activities again?"

"But of course! They won't let their ace be absent even for one training session."

" When will you be back?"

"Around 8 pm or so. See you!" He shouted from the corridor.

"See you soon." The ghoul closed the door. Suddenly all life he showed a few minutes earlier disappeared. His stare turned blank as he slowly made his way toward Hide's bedroom. Kaneki laid on human's bed hugging his pillows, blankets and clothes left by the day before. He quietly sank his head into them sniffing them a bit.

"I won't let anybody steal you." 

~*~

The sky was becoming dark as the night was coming.

The blond put his orange headphones and warm fluffy big hood on. The sport bag firmly secured on his bike.

" Gotta go to another ward for a while huh?"

And then he rode into the shadows of the 20th ward streets.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to tell you that while working on previous chapter I did a really big research on possibility of reattachment of human limbs after being cut of. Can you believe that if the arm is well preserved you can stitch it back even after 6 hours! Wow. Amon's a scar badass now. Be aware.  
> And sorry for making you wait, I haven't had any creavity for the last 2 weeks, but yesterday it hit me like a brick and here you go. It's a bit longer than usual and I hope you're gonna like it.


	6. Chapter 6

"What's wrong investigator Amon? You seem quite restless."

"T-That's nothing. I've just drunk coffee not so long ago that's why I have trouble with sleeping right now."

The tall men was laying next to the blond cold eyed beauty. Mattress was so soft, it felt like clouds for the exhausted men's back and pillows stuffed with spongy down. Even so the man couldn't rest properly.

'How did Akira and I end up in the same bed?' 

~*~

"What do you mean you booked a room for a couple?" The tall men nearly chocked asking this question.

"I mean what I said. I thought renting two rooms was expense too big for your pocket, after all it's the best hotel in this ward. We're only work quittances, it won't be a problem right? Sleeping in the same bed I mean?" The woman glared at Amon with cold expectations, a challenge even. 

"Have you decided yet?" The receptionist with undeniably the weirdest mustache Amon had seen in his life asked coming closer to a table there were currently sitting at.

"We'll take it, I'm sorry for the problem. You know, my husband is angry at me for forgetting about his birthday present and he doesn't want to sleep in the same room as me..."

"Ah...is that so?" the receptionist sent the investigator a cold stare. "Let me guide you to your room then and....Mr. Amon, being angry at such a fine lady doesn't really suit a gentlemen."

"A-ah. Yes, I'll remember that." He turned to face his forgetful new wife. The blond beauty just smiled slyly and followed the man.

~*~

'Oh yeah. That's how.'

"But why would you tell him we're married?!" He shouted all of sudden.

"Shhh. Investigator Amon. It's late."

"Uh, sorry...But please explain yourself."

"We're meant to work incognito, aren't we?"

'Damn I hate this smug expression written all over her face. It doesn't matter it's dark in here. I know it's there.' 

"Yes, but it certainly doesn't mean we have to pretend we're married.

"It's the simplest cover and the most believable, don't you think Amon?"

"I-If you say so..."

'Where the hell did the 'investigator Amon' go?'

Amon laid on his other side making himself comfortable. Even though the bed was amazingly soft something at the back of his head just wouldn't let him sleep.

 

 

"Hey...do you think he did it?"

"Hmm? The Centipede? No, it wasn't him." The sleepy voice echoed in the quiet room.

"So you think so too!" The man nearly shouted again sitting up on the bed suddenly turning towards the woman. It didn't take him even a second for his face to turn into a beautiful shade of red and start coughing nervously. He was glad she couldn't actually see his face. "I meant. Why are you so sure about that?"

"This case looks like a simple murder. I think that after Anteiku Raid the CCG is doing everything they can to find the ghouls that managed to flee."

"I know right?"

"Even though I think it was a human who did this I have a feeling there is something else to this story...The bodies weren't killed just to satiate an ill mind. The meat was cut off in a few places and whoever it was I think he used the meat in some way."

"Akira. Can you possibly think that..."

"Yes." She turned to look into men's eyes, or at least a place she thought was Amon's eyes. "I'm afraid the person who murdered all these people was doing it to feed a ghoul." 

~*~

The blond knocked a few times before entering.

" 'Neki, you there? "

He was met with silence so the human thought it's okay to come in. Slowly he opened the door and looked around the room that since no more than a few days has been claimed as Kaneki's. The room didn't have a bed, the ghoul slept calmly only in Hide's presence therefore it wasn't really needed. It was unbelievably small, with a big library next to the door and an orange carpet Hide liked so much. Besides a window and a small pouf meant for reading there wasn't anything more. Maybe except for Hide's shirt. He had come right after school all sweaty and wet from the extreme heat outside, but he doesn't have to know, right?

Today the room looked quite different from normal though. On the fluffy carpet laid countless blankets, pillows and quilts. The human didn't expect that to be honest, after all why would his best friend make a pillow fort?

After a minute of Hide's brainless staring at the big pillow cocoon trying to comprehend it's being something moved just next to his feet.

"Kaneki?" the blond asked without trembling in his voice. He couldn't be scared easily anymore, things that for other humans or even some ghouls were incredibly extreme and dangerous were quite normal to him. Things like Kaneki for an example. "Kaneki are you hiding under the covers?" The blond asked slowly uncovering the nearest blanket. What he found was a big wiggling centipede tail.

'I certainly didn't expect that, that's for sure.' the blond sighted.

"Buddy are you in your kakuja form? Hey! Kaneki do you even hear me?" Saying that the boy took off all of the pillows and quilts finding his sleeping giant pet centipede hugging body sized pillow Hide had bought him lately as a present. He couldn't be with the ghoul all the time so the soft material was supposed to calm Kaneki's nerves (and possessiveness) when he's away.

'I'm glad it's working, now I feel a bit jealous though.' The blond thought while taking a picture with his phone. 'The most adorable wallpaper ever has just descended upon us mortals.' 

Suddenly all little legs twitched and the ghoul opened his warm gray eyes filled with love for his human and still present sleepiness.

"Hide?"

The blond quickly hid the phone in his dark jeans "Yup. The school has ended earlier today because of a teacher that sadly couldn't come. He was ill or something... You happy?"

"Hide!" The white haired ghoul jumped at the human without any warning causing them to fall to the floor.

"Hey 'Neki! Hahaha! That tickles!" It wasn't that easy not to laugh when 42 little legs are wrapping around you hugging tightly. And as always Kaneki's head ended up laying on Hide's chest inhaling his scent.

Making himself comfortable in the tight hold the human sighted. "Everything is good and dandy, but why is your kakuja out?" The blond held gently the other's head so he was now looking into his eyes - well ok. Eye. The ghoul didn't answer, looking quite angry at his human for making him stop the sniffing session. 

"Gotta ask your normal version then."

The blond gently raised his hands to Kaneki's ears holding the mask in the right places. Without using any real strength the mask was already in his palms disappearing, melting like ice.

"Well, Kaneki. Care to explain?" 

"H-Hide! Um. Well. You see..." the white haired ghoul was blushing furiously. All of a sudden he noticed that he was sitting in humans lap making him unable to stand. "H-Here." He said trying not to look into Hide's eyes when helping the blond to stand up. 

"Nah. It's okay, I think I got used to it." a big grin appeared on Hide's face "Yourself being so cuddly and all..."

"Stop it please!"

"Now can you tell me why after coming home I found my big pet centipede laying in a fort made of blankets?"

"It's actually a long story..." 

"Let's go the kitchen then! Gotta eat something before I pass out. I didn't have dinner so I'm afraid I'm as hungry as a starving ghoul."

"Not funny Hide."

~*~

"So, what exactly happened when I was away?" the human managed to say with mouthful of cereals.

"Well, you know that thanks to our trainings lately I am able to take my kakuja out whenever I want right?"

"Mhmm." The affirmative answer however primitive it was urged Kaneki to continue.

"...and that I don't crush things anymore and go on rampage?"

"Wheel yah."

'Can't he just swallow instead of talking with food in his mouth? Well...It's not that I'm the one to talk...'

"S-So I thought that if I'm more and more in control I'll be able to change perfectly fine by myself..."

"I get it but care to tell me how you ended up covered with blankets and sleeping like a newborn baby?"

"That's...um. After I took my second kagune out I tried moving a bit just to get a hang of it - and you don't even know how hard is to control all these legs at the same time! But after a while it made me tired and - don't really know why - I started walking around your apartment mindlessly-"

"Dude that's some scary shit right there!" The blond shouted nearly spitting cereals out. "I hope you closed the curtains, because I wouldn't really want to hear about an old granny that died of a shock from an apartment next to us tomorrow."

"Of course I did. And...do I really look so scary in my kakuja form?" the ghoul said in a slightly sad voice, giving his human a gloomy stare.

"It depends on the one looking I think. For example you're the cutest giant Arthropod I've ever seen, not only that - your behavior makes me want to pet you and rub your adorable tail like, all the time. But for people that only the appearance matters you might look like a monster from a horror movie."

The blond noticed that Kaneki looked down for a second so he tried to make him a bit better.

"Don't be sad because of the second part though. I mean-"

"I'm not sad." He said interrupting the blond. "For me it matters only what you think Hide."

"I-is that so? " The human laughed ruffling ghoul's hair while walking to a sink to put the bowl down. "I'm glad to hear it. Actually, I had a few things I wanted to try out. I mean with you in your kakuja form. I wanted to do it tomorrow but since you're so eager to train we can as well do it today."

"Yeah, no problem."

"But can you continue the story though? It's not like you were walking all around and suddenly you thought of building a pillow fortification right?"

"Well...I just came to realization that I was just looking for... you..."

"Feeling lonely without me?" Feeling smug and flirty, the blond charmingly smiled at Kaneki.

"Yes."

"I-is that so?" Hide stuttered with his best friend's boldness . "Then I've got some good news for you - I quit collage!"

"You did what?!"

"I quit collage so I'll have more time to be with you! You know I've got a job now so I don't really need to go to school anymore Kaneki. It's really well paid so we won't have to worry about money and-"

"And it's all because of me...?"

'There it is. He's ever existing self blaming.' 

"Oh c'mon 'Neki. It's not really that much of a sacrifice really. School is supposed to give us knowledge and therefore a good job - and I certainly have both now, so why bother?"

"I don't know Hide, I don't think like it's a good idea..."

"You'll see with time that it is a genius idea! Don't you worry and don't blame yourself, because it makes me happy...being with you I mean..."

"If you say so, it's okay then" the ghoul said slightly ambarrased.

"So, back to the story."

"Right, it would certainly be easier if you didn't interrupt me every time."

"Ugh. Just tell me already! You ended with that missing me thing."

"Oh yeah. So then I wanted to just wait for you reading a book but - you may not believe it - reading with only one eye and having to lay on the floor because of your giant freaking kagune is not very comfortable. After that I tried countless times to change back and sadly nothing worked, I even tried to take my mask off like you do but it didn't want to come off. I decided to simply sleep until you came but thanks for my enhanced senses I couldn't be at peace - the light was too bright to sleep and cars too loud. I couldn't do much so-"

"So you built yourself a pillow empire. I get it."

"I couldn't help it Hide! Even though I have better control now having my kakuja out is really making me lightheaded, to say the least."

"No, I'm not really making fun of you. Just the thought of you collecting all the fluffy stuff in the apartment and hiding in it is making my hart melt."

"Hide. That's it. I'm out."

"W-What do you mean?"

"You can do whatever you want." He said and closed his eyes. His face completely expressionless.

"H-Hey Kaneki, buddy, what are you-"

In a moment a big dark crimson centipede tail was wiggling behind the ghoul as his red iris was fixated on the human. 

"Hide!"

'So that's what you meant. Quite smart I must say.'

The ghoul immediately came closer to his human saying his name and swinging his tail energetically. 

'At least in this version he isn't angry at me.'

"Okay buddy. For today I've planned a few thing to try out..." The blond said taking his phone out "But first...let me take a picture of you..."

It was really hard to make Kaneki sit in one place. It seemed that to the centipede Kaneki Hide's scent was like oxygen. He didn't want to stay in place if he could cling to Hide instead. Taking pictures in such conditions wasn't obviously possible.

"I think it would be wiser to learn you commands first actually..." The human left the living room to fetch the meat he prepared earlier. The ghoul followed him step by step.

'I think the first one is going to be rather hard huh...'

They came back to the living room Hide sat in the middle and convinced Kaneki to do the same.

"So...I'm gonna learn you two things today that is 'wait' and 'come'. If you cooperate I promise to pet you real good after we finish. Deal?"

The ghoul nodded.

"Okay now I need you not to move." the blond got up and slowly started to move further away still facing the centipede. When the ghoul tried to stand up Hide immediately made a shushing sound and calmly said 'wait'.

At the beginning the human couldn't go really far away (if you can say that four meters is a big distance) but thanks to treats and short petting as a reward Kaneki learnt how to sit still without being able to see Hide for a few minutes. That wasn't much but he'll learn to be more patient in no time.

"Great buddy! Well done!" The blond said in a cheering voice petting the purring ghoul seemingly proud of himself. "Now the second command." 

In a second the ghoul looked serious like he just got a challenge.

"Ok. 'Wait'."

The blond went to another room and took his whistle out and slowly blew in it. Shortly after this he shouted with all his might.

"Kaneki! Come to me buddy!"

And he didn't really have to wait long. In mare seconds the ghoul was beside him waiting obediently for his reward.

'It's just too easy man.'

The human did it a few times more every time saying less and less until all that was needed for Kaneki to come was the whistle.

"You did so good today..." said the blond scratching ghoul's kagune "...now the last thing." Hide for the third time this day took his phone out to make the most legendary pictures ever.

 

"Now sit for a bit buddy...ok...'wait'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to mix dark things in but it always must end up as fuff? Don't know why? Maybe just because I think that both of them need more love?  
> Anyway I mostly know what I want to write in the next chapter, I'm a lazy bun tho. Please live some comments because they motivate the hell out of me.  
> And as always, thanks for reading! ( •⌄• ू )✧  
> Peace and peas.


	7. Chapter 7

"Y-you mean this thing is...me?" the ghoul asked warily, lifting Hide's phone closer "I really do look like a monstrous centipede..." he mumbled, wincing at the photo.

 

It seemed that the human had a different approach, though "Right? You're so cute! Look at those adorable little legs, and your happy expression here!"

 

"I had the mask on...how can you say I was happy at the moment?"

 

"Ugh. You simply can't appreciate your own cuteness. That's sad man. Sad."

 

The ghoul let out a long, exasperated sigh "If you say so Hide. Anyway, do you have more? This photo is kinda blurred and I can't see well..." Kaneki said swiping through Hide's gallery on his phone. He managed to make only one move when the human suddenly-

 

"Don't!"

 

-shouted.

 

"Wha-? Why?" the white haired boy asked glancing at the phone curiously. Hide attacked Kaneki in a childish manner, leaning over his shoulder to get at the small device. Instantly, eight appendages were curled around his body, prohibiting any further movement and making it still. The ghoul went through most of Hide's photos. His face changed from shock to anger, and next-

 

-he just smiled, serene, and turned to Hide who was still being held in his rinkaku- rinkaku that began to progressively clench around the human. 

 

"Hide."

 

"Y-yes."

 

"What are these?"

 

"Those are...uh..."

 

"Is this what you were doing during our training, Hide?"

 

"Kaneki, I-"

 

"Taking photos of me in my kakuja state."

 

"I just-"

 

"I must say it's impressive how you managed to fit me in a cat kigurumi, though..." the ghoul said, expression becoming more lethal by the minute. "Do I look like a puppy to you?" 

 

The blond blushed and turned his head to the side, muttering under his nose "...but you're so awsome in it I couldn't help myself"

 

Kaneki's expression softened a bit "Hide, you shouldn't take pictures of me, what if somebody finds it? They would keep you in prison for helping a ghoul. Or even worse... the CCG would-"

 

"Dude, chill. If you're so bothered by the pictures I can just delete them. After all I've got the real Kanekipede here so losing the pictures isn't the worst thing." The blond said doing something on his phone then smiling genuinely. "Ok. Done. Happy now?"

 

"Thank you, Hide it really means a lot to me." The white haired ghoul said, hugging his human close. "I'm going to take a shower now...and you aren't allowed to take pictures of me from now on. Got it?"

 

"How can you do it to me Ken?" The blond dramatically fell to his knees and clutched his chest.

 

Kaneki slowly made his way towards the bathroom, calling back to the blonde. "You're like a little kid, Hide!" 

 

\--------------------------

 

The human didn't move for a few seconds.

 

'He's gone. Good.'

 

He switched his laptop on and with unhidden proudness opened a folder named 'lil' centi'. The folder had at least 1 Terabyte and was filled with Kaneki's photos. One when he slept in his pillow fort,when he jumped from sofa to bed, and many, many more.

 

"Is a kid capable of making a backup? Don't think so, hehe." He snickered while transferring some photos to his phone.

 

"I can hear you, Hide!" Kaneki roared, as his rinkaku crushed the bathroom doors open. 

 

"Oh shit."

 

~*~

 

*chop, chop, chop*

Damn, I got my trousers dirty. Good thing they're black, or it'd stain.

 

*chop, crack! crack!*

 

I'm getting better and better at this. What did he say? Junction between arm and neck huh...

 

*chop, rip, rip*

 

Hope this much is enough.

 

The blond hauled the blotched sports bag over his shoulder and started home.

 

~*~

 

The human had just finished washing the sports bag, made himself comfortable on the couch, and was watching television. Suddenly, Kaneki came to the room holding one of his favorite horror novellas. 

 

Must have been reading... 

 

Kaneki glanced at Hide, tilted his head, and went to crouch by Hide's side- worry evident on his face. 

"Hide...you smell of blood. Are you wounded?" the panic evident in his voice.

 

The blond remembered he forgot to change his trousers and that Kaneki could easily smell the blood on him. 

 

Fuck.

 

"Y-yeah. I scratched my knee while jogging today."

 

"Is that so...You should probably treat your wounds then. It smells like there's a lot of it, though..."

 

"I forgot about it, hehe. I'm gonna go do it now." The blond chuckled nervously, walking off to the kitchen immediately. Kaneki watched him go silently.

 

"..."

 

He won't be fooled anymore.  
It didn't smell like Hide's blood at all.  
It was some other human's for sure.  
It was fresh as well.

 

"Hide where were you, earlier?" He inquired when the human finally came back from the kitchen.

 

"Told ya! Jogging." Hide smiled at Kaneki, reassuringly. 

 

"..." 

 

Oh Hide... 

 

"And when are you going again?"

 

"When the group calls. You know those types of jogging groups that keeps you motivated, right? After quitting college I had to find some kind of physical activity so with the kind of food I eat I won't end up as a fat, middle aged man!"

 

"Is that so." Kaneki had to admit it was a pretty good excuse.

 

"Yup. Anyways, want to go somewhere tomorrow? It's been about four weeks from the raid so it should be safe for you to go out now."

 

He wants to change subject...well, he wouldn't tell me anyway. I just have to be patient.

 

"Place to go huh...no, here isn't a place for me anymore, except for being by your side, so going out doesn't sound that amazing to me..."

 

"A-ah is that so...?" Hide pretended to study the television to poorly hide his ambarassed face from Kaneki. He wasn't looking at him though, simply staring through the living room window, eyes blank. 

 

"I'd like to see how are Touka and Hinami doing. Maybe even Tsukiyama. I wonder if they're okay..."

 

He can't.  
They're going to take Kaneki from him again.  
He won't let it happen again.  
What he has to do is just make sure that his best friend don't worry about them anymore.

 

"I'm afraid they'll be hard to find now, after everything that has happened."

 

"That's true..." Kaneki sprawled next to his human on the couch "At least I've got you." he added.

 

"That's right, buddy. I'll never leave you."

 

And I am everything you will ever need, Kaneki.

 

~*~

 

Damn, it was hard. Finding her in a university as big as Kamii wasn't easy at all. Especially when you're not a student. But it was all for his best friend, wasn't it?

 

"He's alive!?" the girl shouted, voice ringing in the hallway. Hide whipped a hand up to stifle it. 

 

"Shush!" 

 

Touka recoiled from the harsh sound. "...s-sorry. But are you for real? Is...Kaneki alive?" she asked furtively, trembling with relief and happiness.

 

"Yes Touka. He's still not mentally stable, but sane and safe for now."

 

"Where is he?"

 

"He's at my place, you don't have to worry. I need you to tell him everything is okay because Kaneki is really worried about you guys."

 

"Um, okay. But not everything is good Hide, one of Banjou's crew died and Tsukiyama, who was the closest one to Kaneki for a quite long time can't come to terms that Kaneki is dead. Well, that was what everyone thought until now."

 

"I get it, Touka. But you can't tell Kaneki that. I don't want him to...go back to his previous state. You know what I mean?"

 

"I think I do." she saddened terribly "Meet me after school and we'll go to your place."

 

"Honestly thank you for understanding, Touka."

 

"Hmpf! I'm not doing it for you but for this idiot Kaneki."

 

"I'm still very grateful."

 

The ghoul walked away, leaving Hide smiling darkly.

 

'That's the last time I'll need you.'

 

~*~

 

"You live in a pretty small apartment..." Touka commented out loud, stepping into the apartment while the human took his shoes off. Hide grimaced.

 

How rude can she actually be?

 

"Does it matter?" Hide said, taking his keys out to lock the door with a somber click. "He may be in his Kakuja form, so please don't startle him."

 

"Kaneki is a kakuja!?" Touka whipped around to face him, eyes wide and shiny like fresh grapes.

 

"Don't shout! Yes, he is. But it doesn't matter right now, just do what I asked you to do."

 

"I don't even know why I'm helping this one-eyed idiot..."She looked away and hissed in a irritated tone.

 

The blond took Touka's shoulders in a tight grip, shoving her to the wall unexpectedly and harshly. "You will do this because he got himself into all of this because of you. If only he had come, to me not you it wouldn't have happened. He protected your and everyone from Anteiku's asses so you will happily do at least that for him, understand?" Hide snarled, glaring at the girl coldly, the venom in his tone and eyes wracking a nervous shiver down her back.

 

He was just a human, but at this moment she-

 

-Touka, a ghoul, a monstrous Rabbit for the first time in her life was scared of a human. 

 

"So come in. But be quiet, please." The blond removed his hold, stepped away and behaved as if nothing had happened.

 

This person is dangerous. 

 

"O-Okay." She mumbled, walking down the darkened hallway. Hide led the way looking for his best friend.

 

"Buddy, where are you?" he called quietly, peeking into the adjacent closet. Touka trailed behind him at a distance.

 

The girl suddenly smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen. She stared at the fridge from the hallway, furrowing her brows. 

 

"Is that...human meat I smell?" She asked turning to Hide who-

 

-was there no more. 

 

"Where the fuck did you go?!" She hissed quietly. The apartment was quiet, nothing except for a ticking clock and faint TV static that could be heard.

 

"Hide...?"

 

She began to examine all of the rooms, silent, dark and abnormally warm. It reminded her of an insect terrarium. The too small bathroom and tidy kitchen were empty, but when she made her way towards to living room, she heard something. It was a low growling as if a dog lay in wait to bite her- guarding its territory.

 

Oh for fuck's sake...

 

She switched on the lights- what she saw was something right from a horror movie.

 

Curled on the ceiling was a dark mass- a cluster of twisting indigo tails shot with red and black. In the center of the brambled appendages crouched a shock of white and blonde- the big centipede-like monster was holding the human in his long limbs, all the while snapping at her and growling loudly. It was oddly grotesque, considering the room to be the most average one you could probably find. Normally after switching on the lights you would find a little spider or a moth in your room, not a freaking monster with its hostage!

 

"H-Hide...!"

 

"Right here!" the blonde managed to wave at the girl, "Oh c'mon Kaneki put me down!" The ghoul ceased his snarling enough to glance at Hide with care, but almost immediately turned to Touka growling even louder and hugging the human more closely.

 

"Kaneki? You mean that...thing?"

 

"Aren't you just rude now?" the blond glared at her in a way that way that made Touka's knees give in "Anyway, Kaneki this is Touka, you know."

 

The centipede of a ghoul looked at him yet again. "Tou-ka?"

 

The boy smiled "That's right, Touka from Anteiku."

 

"Touka...-chan?"

 

"That's it, buddy."

 

The spindly legs detached themselves from cracked plaster to ease the two of them down from the high perch to the other side of the living room- the pair still entangled in the twistering kagune. The kakuja released Hide briefly to move in front- leaving the blond protected behind. He made his way towards the girl. His lone, blank eye was fixated on her and waving tails ready to fight to protect his human. The ghoul tilted his head.

 

"Touka-chan?"

 

Touka let the breath she had been holding go in a huffed sigh, and rubbed her temples. She raised her head and smiled heartily at the white haired boy.

 

"Long time no see, Kaneki."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. I have so little time right now and so many things to do ;-; I want to ask you guys if you would like a long chapter (like right now) once every 3 weeks or much shorter one every week?  
> Anyway! Thank you for reading and I can only hope you'll like it.  
> Finally I managed to lessen the amount of fluff. And god knows it was hard.


	8. Chapter 8

"How are you, Kaneki?" Touka felt caught in headlights- standing still, holding her breath behind a timid smile. She tried, a little unsuccessfully, at copying Hide's ease. It wasn't exactly simple when facing something so monstrously...terrifying. 

Kaneki stepped closer, and closer to her. Without warning, he leapt back, bristling and clicking tails wrapping back around his human. A deep, unpleasant growling ripped her attention back to the white haired kakuja. Kaneki's expression was feral and aggressive- growling out of the blue, deep and loud at the confused girl. The ghoul shielded his best friend from view with his own frame, stopping to look into Touka's terrified and confused eyes with his own, feral one.

"Mine!" Kaneki hissed, clenching his kagune around Hide even further. The kakuja was slowly walking towards the female, stance becoming more intimidating, more aggressive by the second. 

"K-Kaneki?! What are you trying to-" she stuttered, panicked. Sure, she was strong but how is she supposed to fight not only her friend but also a kakuja? Taking her ukaku out isn't a good idea- Kaneki would no doubt take it as a form of aggression and might snap what little patience he had left. He could overpower her so easily...damn what had she gotten herself into?

"TOUKA!!" The ghoul roared without a warning, yet again, the kagune unoccupied with guarding his human thrashing with increasingly lethal intent. 

It would be nice just to let it finish here, but unfortunately that can't be...Hide thought, humming to himself.

The human wriggled out of the white haired boy's hold and sighed softly.

"Kaneki, buddy, come here." Kaneki turned slightly to face his favorite human, however his kagune remained unwavering. The protectiveness was evidently visible in his body language. "Come here and I'll scratch your kagune's base~!" the blonde cooed, his sing-song tone enough to convince Kaneki to lower his limbs a fraction. Hide stretched his hands out to the ghoul.

'Kagune scratching~!'

The deadly tension evaporated immediately, and the big centipede came to him immediately- leaving Touka alone. For now, at least. The girl was clearly shaken, and couldn't comprehend what she had just witnessed. 

T-That idiot Kaneki, just tried to-...to-!

"Touka-chan are you alright?" Hide asked, concerned that any movement from her might set the half ghoul off again. She remained frozen to the spot, fortunately.

"Y-yes, what's wrong with him? Doesn't he recognize me?"

"He does, but Kaneki gets really...overprotective of me in his kakuja form, you see..." He glanced at the peacefully relaxed ghoul stretching in his lap, waiting for his promised kagune rubbing. "Ah. That's right buddy, look at me for a while-" When Kaneki did as he had been told, the blond quickly took the kakuja mask off, RC cells crumbling into dust. The sound the ghoul made right then could be probably translated to "What about my kagune rubbing?!" But unfortunately that had to wait.

"Kaneki we have to talk, you know?" Hide said, and the white haired boy stood up a bit shyly.

'Can't believe Touka's just seen me lying in Hide's lap. Damn...so embarrassing.' Kaneki slowly turned towards Touka- still a bit red but mostly happy that she's okay.

"Hi, Touka-chan. I'm happy to see you are well...and how are the others?" Kaneki smiled kindly and walked towards her.

"A-ah. The crew...they're safe and sound- you don't have to worry about a thing..." she stumbled back a step with the sudden approach. The ghoul made no comment, but stopped and narrowed his eyes- then suddenly smiled again. 

"You have to tell me everything, but for now...how about a cup of coffee, Touka-chan? I know mine isn't as good as manager's but..."

"Yeah. That....I mean, coffee would be nice..." she said nervously. Perhaps even too soon.

"Then please, make yourself at home. Hide, green tea for you. You drink too many carbonated drinks, you'll make yourself sick." with this, the ghoul vanished to the kitchen leaving Hide and Touka alone.

"Well then NO KAGUNE SCRATCHING FOR YOU!" the blond childishly shouted after his friend.

~*~

Touka perched on their sofa as far as politely possible from Hide, who was currently sitting in a big neon red loveseat- his last purchase. Clinks of cups and the clacks of cabinets opening sounded from the small kitchen behind them. Touka nervously thumbed her knuckles, unsure of how to start with what was bothering her.

"Is he...okay?" she asked, with trembling voice. Her fingers ceased their fiddling and tightly clenched around each other. Hide briefly glanced up from his battered magazine on dog training. A black and brown dog longed on the front- tongue lolling, long tail wagging, and happy to see the young man alongside him. Hide flipped to the next page, on obedience drills, without looking back up.

"Why do you ask that?" the human answered, coldly "Of course he is. Can't you see he's at peace for the first time since he has left...[me]?"

"Well, what about what happened earlier, then?" she looked at Hide's form- his hand crumpling the page in front of him, mouth set in a thin line, eyes cold and alarmingly blank. She felt pricks of uneasy concern and something like...fear?

"I've told you he's just protective of me, haven't I? After all he thought I was dead for over a year, and the things he went trough? - I belive I'm his only anchor right now.

"That's not just being protective Hide, he looks like he's...obses-"

"Touka, your coffee." The white haired teen smiled, placing everyone's drinks at the table. Ice slid down the female's spine with how close the other ghoul had gotten without her knowing.

How? When did he get here? He didn't even make a sound! What the fuck happened just now?Did...did he hear our conversation?! 

"Ah. Thank you..." she shrunk into herself, as if not to occupy too much space. 

"Hide - here you are. Your tea." Kaneki handed the cup over to the blonde, and turned towards the girl while making himself comfortable on the obnoxiously bright loveseat near his friend. 'Near' couldn't describe it well enough. It looked like he hardly needed just a little push to be all over Hide. The ghoul slowly raised the cup to his mouth and after taking a sip he relaxed and smiled kindly at his dear, ghoul fRIenD. 

"Now, tell me everything that has happened after the Raid."

~*~

While explaining the situation to Kaneki, Touka focused mainly on Hinami and Banjou- successfully avoiding talking about Tsukiyama and Banjou's crew. She told him about the manager's death, and how Yomo made sure she and Hinami was safe. Kaneki simply listened to her story, wearing the same expression through the whole conversation. When she finished, he didn't ask about anything, nor did it look like it had shaken him. He only smiled, again, and stood up- taking the empty glasses with him.

"It's late, Touka-chan, and it's not safe to go out at this hour. How about staying at our place?" Hide asked the sleepy looking girl leaning on the arm of their sofa. Her guard lay lowered- senses dulled by fatigue and worn caffeine. She yawned quietly.

"But I'm a ghoul you know...nothing will happen."

Kaneki joined the discussion from the kitchen "Hide is right, Touka-chan, you should stay. Isn't your house far away from here? Not to mention today is Saturday, so you don't have school tomorrow. Staying at our place is the best option, don't you think?"

The girl just yawned again, will softened by her tiredness "Ugh. Okay. Seems reasonable. But I'm taking the bed, got that?" she glared at Kaneki, well, tried to. The boy just laughed  
"Okay, I got it. Now go to the bedroom, and I'll bring you some spare clothes and blankets."

She reluctantly stood up and mumbled quiet 'thank you' before doing so.

~*~

The sofa Hide and Kaneki were currently snoozing on was small, but nevertheless enough for the two of them. Currently, it was the middle of the night and Hide really regretted drinking three cups of green tea. The human made his way out of the soft cushions, clingy tentacles and Kaneki's tight hold, and made his way to the bathroom. On the way he saw that the light in kitchen was on.

"Touka...are you there?" he asked lazily.

"Yes Hide, and we...we have to talk." her voice sounded a bit strained.

"Sure weird time for talking, but whatever...what's up?" He yawned widely, walked in and began to shut the sliding door. With every little click Touka flinched inwardly- and only when it shut completely and bathed them both in the kitchen's dim, orange light did she relax. 

"In the daytime, Kaneki would hear us and I...I don't want that. I'd like to talk about him, after all."

"I could guess that-"

"He-he's not normal."

The blonde stopped- and it truly felt like the cozy, warm kitchenette plummeted in temperature. Whatever guise he had been holding slipped, and Touka nearly recoiled at the change in atmosphere.

"What do you mean?" Hide questioned- an innocent reply, and so very, very cold.

"He behaves like an animal guarding his territory, Hide, that's not healthy! Soon he won't be able to blend into human society at all!"

Tch. "Then what you guys did was better!? Making him choose between human and ghoul, making him fight, making him hurt! You think that's okay?!"

"What you're doing now is keeping him to yourself and not letting him do what he wants at all!"

"You're wrong. That's exactly what he wants, maybe if you actually asked him what he really wants you would know that!"

"That's it! I'm taking him with me!" she snarled, letting her kagune break out. 

Hide glared at her and picked up the nearest kitchen knife "You aren't taking him from me!"

Suddenly, the blonde flew backward, having been kicked in the gut viciously. The wooden door rattled harshly at the impact, and Hide cried out in pain. Touka sneered. 

"Do you really think you can fight a ghoul, you must be more of a fool than I've thought, Hide."

"You bitch-!" 

The hallway light flicked on.

"Why are you shouting so early in the morning..." Kaneki mumbled, rubbing his eyes. The ghoul was still in his pajamas with that cute, mussed bed hair of his. Kaneki was still half asleep, though now his mind was over stimulated.  
Touka had her ukaku out.

Hide was crumpled on the kitchen's floor with a knife and looking scared for his life.

The scene was something Kaneki should've never allowed to happen.  
Why was it real, though?  
Because he had trusted someone other than Hide?  
Because he had thought she was his friend?  
Aaah...  
He gets tricked every single time just because he's too kind for everyone.  
He thought he had changed for Hide's sake and yet...

...and yet...

...he nearly allowed him to be mercilessly killed by that imposter of a friend...

How dare she?  
To Hide, to my human.  
She must be punished.  
She must reap what she sows. 

Dark violet centipede kagune erupted from his back, crushing the flimsy wood door in and flooding the small space. It was now making weird, hollow cracking sounds and changing its shape. The legs grew longer, and tail more massive than before. From the top of Kaneki's kakuja mast grew two bulges, that stretched out into slender antennae.

"Kaneki, stop! You don't understand! I-"

*crunch*

"Hah?" Touka was reasoning with the white haired boy in front of her, until he wasn't, until she turned her head and saw the ghoul standing in the corner behind her, holding something in his mouth that looked like an...an arm? The pain hit her fast and when she looked at the place her hand was- should be she nearly screamed. "Fuck! Fuck! You idiot Kaneki! That's not funny anymore!!" she began to sob "Why...why can't you be just like before?" she turned toward the monster that she dared to call her friend "Why did you change, Kaneki!?"

The ghoul rose to his full height- walked towards her slowly. The mask disappeared, leaving his antennae, that were now twitching back and forth, his centipede legs clenching on air and opening back again. His rinkaku legs in themselves- wicked sharp and venomous.

"Small? Weak? Alone?" he monotoned in a voice that sounded more like a synthesizer then a real person, "I became strong so I can protect things I hold dear. So I can make people pay when they dare to touch things that belong to me."

He kneeled in front of the crying Touka, holding her chin up with his hand in a mockery of his past gentleness- in a parody of that gentle, kind voice. "And it seems you wanted to hurt someone that is very important to me."

"Kaneki, no! I didn't he just-"

He didn't let the girl finish the sentence, piercing the her with his kagune, murdering her on the spot. As her eyes turned dead and blank, and the body cold, Hide crouched next to the motionless ghoul- disregarding the cooling pool of red around their knees. 

"Hey, Kaneki, you okay?"

The ghoul's kakuja form crumbled away, leaving Kaneki crying silently on the cold tiles. Hide pulled shaking shoulders into his own as the white haired boy shivered.

"It's okay Kaneki. There was no other way..."

"I know Hide...." sniff "...I know, but...I can't trust them anymore. I can't believe anyone beside you anymore. I thought that everything was okay and that she was my friend, but...but-!" more tears tracked down his cheeks. His voice grew uneven "After all, only you can be trusted." the ghoul leaned into human's embrace.

 

Hide leaned his forehead to Kaneki's. 

"Thank you, buddy. It really means a lot for me." The blond looked discreetly at the corpse laying next to them "Now we have to dispose of the..body, it will be hard consider-"

"There's no need to do that, Hide." the ghoul efficiently silenced his friend "...I'll...I will eat her." 

Hide didn't know what to say. It was the best option but…

"Are you sure? She was your friend, after all..."

Kaneki wiped the tears off his face "She was until she made a huge mistake and had to pay for it, and this is the result."

The human stood up and made his way to the living room.

"I'll leave her to you, then."

When he closed the kitchen door- what remained of the splintered wood, anyways- Hide leaned against the wall and smirked, listening to the grotesque sounds of ripping flesh, fluids dripping on the kitchen tiles, and muffled crying. Hide was worried for his best friend, but it was all for the best.

'One worry less.' he thought, feeling delighted and happy. 'Oh it's six[c][d] a.m., time for my beloved criminal serial!' the human thought , glancing at the clock.

~*~

*chop, rip*  
'So tasty~'  
[I want more]

The tears dried a long time ago. While leaving, sadness made more room for hunger.  
'I want more... '  
[There's not much left though...]

He licked his fingers clean.  
'Ahh. I've nearly forgotten how good the ghoul meat tastes.  
[The[e][f][g] kagune especially.] 

Being the opposite of the human flesh, it makes your head spin and kagune twitch in delight. It no longer mattered what other ghouls thought about his diet. For Kaneki, his own kind was the best delicacy. He continued gnawing on Touka's ukaku shreds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everybody for voicing your opinion on the long/short chapters. One long chapter every 3 weeks it is!
> 
> This chapter was very emotional for me - especially the part when Hide and Touka argued. Damn I'm so pissed at her.  
> On the other hand Kaneki with his new awesome deadly kakuja, looking adorable in pajama is killing me. 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

After the 'incident' everything seemed so normal it nearly made Hide laugh out loud. The kitchen floor was cleaned up of Kaneki's mealtime, and he behaved like nothing had happened. 

Like, at all. 

Hide thought this behavior was out of place for his friend, but tried not to bring it up. On the other hand it was a good thing, right?

Right...? 

The next day, Hide woke up with Kaneki sprawled next to him in his sleep like usual. The only difference was that the ghoul's kakuja was out, immobilizing him. Yesterday he didn't see it well but wow, Kaneki's kakuja form had really changed its shape.  
The white haired boy's head was pressed firmly to his human's chest, his mask hard and rigid against the tender spot of his stomach. The only weird - if he could use this word in this situation - difference would be the really long antennae sticking from his friend's mask in the place of where his forehead would normally be.

What had made him change so much in a matter of seconds...?

Suddenly, one of the thin limbs twitched and began wiggling slowly- almost as if probing for something. They looked so fragile...and cute. Damn, he should stop thinking of every single one of Kaneki's traits as cute, but...

The human poked one of them with his index finger.

It twitched, and quickly withdrew- but subsequently leaned closer, twisting around the human's finger. Oh, my god. Even his kagune have the same character as Kaneki he thought, chuckling to himself. 

Today is Monday and it means...yeah, I have to go to work. He glanced lazily at the clock on the nightstand. 'Ten past five...huh?! Oh. shit. My shift starts at 6 am. And it takes about 30 min to get there. I'm totally fucked.

The biggest obstacle, however, wasn't to get there or to put his clothes on, it was to get out of bed- and precisely, out of Kaneki's hold. The blond reached towards his friend's back, rubbing it soothingly. 

"Hey, Kaneki, wake up..." the ghoul just grumbled uncooperatively. 

"...I've got to go to work, ya know?" he laughed, starting to tap his friend's kagune and swirling the antennae with his fingers.

"Grr-rh..." 

...this freaking sleepyhead...

"Come on buddy, I don't have much time, the delivery boy always have to be on time and certainly you don't want to make me late, do you? You lazy centipede?"  
The kakuja slowly raised his head- looking at the human with his one eye. Hide made use of the opportunity to take off Kaneki's mask- counting on his normal self being more...cooperative- but to his surprise the only thing that disappeared was the mask, his centipede kagune still fully intact.

'It doesn't...work? Why...?'

"Hide...stay." 

'Why does Hide have to go...I need him better than those ungrateful humans. He should just stay here.'

"Kaneki come on, let...me...go!" Hide straggled out of the ghoul's kagune, his actions futile in their efforts. Moreover, his friend merely clutched him tighter.

"You dumb centipede! Ok! If you let me go, I promise to go with you to a cafe after work!"

'Oooh? That changes everything, then. But before I'll let you go...'

Kaneki raised himself on top of the human, situating himself so he straddled the blonde's torso. Hide looked a bit annoyed, but he had to do it- this was for his sake, after all. The ghoul stuck his tongue out and bit it hard, making the appendage bleed strongly. 

"K-Kaneki what are you...?"

The blood was dripping slowly from Kaneki's chin onto Hide's pajamas below. The white haired boy moved to lay his chin on human's collarbone letting the blood accumulate there, laving Hide's neck and leaving dark bloody traces all over it. 

"Dude! Haha what are you doing? Haha! That t-tickles!" The blond cried, trying to get the ghoul off of him. Kaneki was not to be swayed, however, and the ghoul finished the deed- getting off his friend when he was finished.

"Man you got your blood all over my neck! What was that for? Some satanic ritual and shit?" Hide asked, trying to wipe the blood off.

"Hey, don't wipe it off. It will protect you." The ghoul chastised, standing up from Hide's bed. They both decided it was much better than the sofa.

"How?" The human looked bewildered at the strange behaviour, but not frightened. "Your blood isn't magical...or is it?" He really wouldn't be surprised if it was truth- after everything that has happened lately...

"Actually, it is. Maybe not in the way you think...my blood gives off my scent and thus all the ghouls will know that you belong to a ghoul. Not to mention, they can smell the amount of the RC cells and tell that I'm strong. That way I can make you safe while not being with you." the ghoul grinned at his idea. Or maybe it were his instincts that told him to do it...it didn't really matter anyway, as long as Hide was it worked .

Hide's mind switched off when he reached the 'you belong to a ghoul' part. Damn. Staring off to the side at Kaneki's curled centipede tails, the human became red as a tomato.

"Hide, what's wrong?'

"N-No-thing" he squeaked. 

"Well, okay then. Just don't forget to not wash it off, promise?"

"Y-yeah man, promise."

"Anyway Hide, it's half past five...shouldn't you go?"

"Oh. Um...what?" he looked at the clock "Oh fuck!" the blond leapt out of their covers and the bed towards the wardrobe- taking some clothes and changing right where he stood. Kaneki knew Hide had to be at least a bit muscular with all the biking he does, but... Those legs look so juicy it makes the ghoul salivate but not in a hungry way.

"See you later, 'Neki!" the human shouted closing the door.

"Don't forget about the promise!" the ghoul shouted, walking back to the bed. He curled his kagune around him and felt the mask appear again before falling asleep. 

'Have to remember to ask Hide where he works...' he thought distantly, drifting off to sleep.

~*~

"So it really was a human, huh..." The investigator mused, thumbing his pen. 

Akira looked up from her laptop "There is still the possibility he was doing it for a ghoul. Anyway, Investigator Amon, I've just gotten instructions from the higher-ups, they analyzed the places and time the murders were committed, and it seems that there is a high possibility that it is going to happen again in a few days in this area."

"20th ward, huh..." The man muttered "Than means we are going to have night shifts from now on. Maybe you should stay, it's not safe at night in this ward." 

The woman stood up, bristling. "Oh. How thoughtful of you. But shouldn't I have you remember who killed the last two ghouls we encountered?" 

"It was...you..."

"And who didn't let the ghoul granny almost eat you alive?"

The men blushed and looked away from her. "I get it! You can come along!"

Akira smiled and looked at the gold clock perched on the wall "Well, anything won't happen until the night comes so I guess we have free time now. How about we go to some fancy restaurant, Investigator Amon? Won't you be a gentleman and take me out?" The woman smirked.

"S-since we don't have anything better to do...I think it's okay." The man mumbled to himself.

~*~

"Do I look normal enough?" the ghoul wondered aloud, staring at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a white shirt and pitch black trousers. 

"A bit hipster to me, but otherwise fine. You forgot about one thing, tho..." the blond added, fixing a black wig on Kaneki's head. "Done. Wow- it really brings back memories, doesn't it?" 

"Yeah..." The ghoul hummed, looking at his reflection with nostalgia, then he started to unnaturally scratch his back.

"What's wrong, Kaneki? Want me to scratch some itchy spot on your back?" The blonde raised his hands ready to go. 

"No, I'm...fine. Forcing my kagune in was quite a feat, you know. I feel like it's moving under my skin, it's not a bad feeling, simply weird..."

"Can-can I see?" the blond looked at the ghoul with sparkles in his eyes- as if asking for a permission to play with his favorite toy.

The ghoul blushed somewhat heatedly. "S-sure..." he lifted his shirt for Hide to see.

His whole back had looked as if there were thin snakes wiggling around under his skin.

It looked weird.  
It looked grotesque.  
It looked...amazing.

The human touched one budge near Kaneki's shoulder blade. The thing disappeared for a moment then a small limb looking like a miniature of Kaneki's regular rinkaku appeared. The tiny red thread curled around his finger like a vine, before slithering back under the skin.

"So...?"

"I'm so gonna have so much fun poking it when we come back."

"You big dork." The ghoul pushed his shirt down, much to Hide's disappointment. 

He quickly recovered, however. "Are we going yet? I really need some caffeine. The work was horrible..."

"Let's go then...ah. I've nearly forgotten - come here, Hide." The ghoul said sitting on the sofa. 

At the beginning it was a bit weird, maybe even gross, but now Kaneki's bloody spots was like a lucky charm for him.

When Kaneki finished, he looked up into Hide's eyes, and they both stood up.

"You okay?" 

"Yup, just thinking how cute it is of you is to make me perfumes out of your blood."

Kaneki just huffed at the comment as they exited the apartment. 

"Ah. It's so nice to be able to go outside like this, don't you think, Hide?" The ghoul said adjusting his scarf. The human looked so excited it made Kaneki's heart melt. 

"Mhm! And we're going to the new cafe I've found. They have amazing coffee, believe me!"

"Your taste buds are so used to eating trash food, I don't think I should trust you right now."

"Hey! At last it's better than your meals!" Hide said without thinking. 

Oh shit.

I shouldn't have brought it up.

I sh̴o͘ul̶dn'͜t͟-

Instead of the reaction he had prepared for, his ghoul just smiled softly and chuckled under his nose "You've got a point, actually. Is it far from here?"

"Nah. it's right here!" 

Safe!

They entered a nice, little cafe- choosing an aclove in the corner. Kaneki ordered black while Hide was taking his time- choosing extra sweet kind of syrup, and lots of little marshmallows to put in the coffee. 

Won't his stomach hurt later after that amount of sugar? He wanted to tell Hide to change his mind, but seeing how happy the human is the ghoul can only agree with his choice. 

The cafe was really small, but cozy. The chairs as well as the furniture were made to look old and classy- while everything else was futuristic. It seemed like two completely different worlds melded into one. It somehow left Kaneki at peace.

The human took a sip of the delivered sugar-potion- making himself comfortable on the little sofa he was sitting on.

"Anyway, Kaneki, why didn't you change back after I've took your mask off this morning?"

Just like that, the peaceful atmosphere evaporated. "Hide! We're in public. You can't just randomly ask me about my kakuja state!" he hissed. Hide seemed nonplussed at his outburst.

"But there's no one beside us here?" It was truth, the place was empty at this hour and the only person in the shop was an old barista, brewing coffee in the opposite corner. 

"I guess it's okay then, but talk quieter please."

"So?"

"I can control it much better now, like when it disappears and goes out. Also, I'm able to talk in my kakuja state right now, I just have to take my mask off. Hide, it makes me so happy to finally be able to get a grip on myself. Thanks to you I finally...am not scared of myself anymore. I want you to know that, and thank you." the ghoul blushed and stared at his cup blankly.

"Kaneki, I'm so glad man. I didn't really plan on telling you but when I've found you I was afraid you wouldn't smile ever again but - here you are laughing and smiling and even looking better than before! I just want you to know that you really mean a lot to me, Kaneki." the blonde said, smiling.

"I feel the same, Hide. So...are you actually going to drink your caramel cappuccino or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. Mum!"

The human was his heaven, something that was supposed to be unreachable for mortal men. And yet he had it on earth, and yet he owned it.

~*~  
"Kaneki! I'll be going to meet up with our jogging group. See you in a few hours!" the human shouted putting his jacket on. Kaneki looked up from his book- making a point to smile and wave.

We can't play this forever...

"See you!" The ghoul called, and when the door closed, quickly opened and jumped through the back window.

The human was riding a bike, it wasn't a problem for Kaneki whose speed right now could be comparable to that of a small car's. He was running on the rooftops- not letting Hide out of his view. He had to end this. He knew that his human was doing it for him, but it was way too dangerous for Hide. He will end this tonight.

At some point the human left his bike and proceeded towards dark alleys with the sports bag in his hand. A few moments later a girl appeared- she was well dressed and she looked happy. When Hide got near her, she blushed and talked to his Hide stuttering a few times.

Then Hide said something and started walking towards even darker back alley and she followed him. When they reached a dead end the girl said something to Hide again and headed toward the only exit where Hide stood.  
Then happened something Kaneki didn't expect- his human used all his strength to push the girl towards the opposite wall, making her trip and bash into it. The blood started to ooze from her head, dripping on her cute pink sweater. She looked panicked and tried to stand up, with no result.

Now's the time!

Hide took the knife out, smiling with pride and unmistakable menace.

"You really shouldn't go out after dark you know, it's not safe. Trust me~" He giggled making his way towards the girl but suddenly-

"Hide."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. I've gone on a trip to the Gravity Falls fanfics. The transcendence au is really something! My point is in this chapter there are some words tha̧t͏ look ̶lik̵e ̢tha͜t, because while reading Gravity Falls fics I found it quite fascinating. They really make the atmosphere a lot creeper don't you think? Also I wanted Kaneki in his kakuja state to talk that way a͏̮̬̟l̠͚̯̪̭l̫̰͎̫̗̪ ̰̳̗̩̝ͅt̘̻̲͈h̼͓͔̝̲̲e̢̯ ̹͈ț̸̝̩i͏͇̬m̦̮͎͕̥̟̟e̱ͅ ̱b̸̼͕̥͙̠u̦̮͓̰̼͕ͅt̷͚ ͡I͇ ̢̮̗͓̤̰̭̥w̴̥̼̱a̳̠̺͟ş̺̳ ̛̬̦̗̬a͎͇̝f̩̝̫͖̖̹̲r̷͓a͚̰̞̹͙̻̭i̳̗̰̗̩͡d̰̯ͅ ͚yo҉̳̜u͙̰͓̦̖̭͕ ̶̜̝̦͚̗̹͙w̭o͘ṳ̮̪̼̣̹̙͝l͕͠d͉̗͠ ҉̱̳͚͚͍͎̞h͈͘a̳v̸̠͈̙̻e̠̞̝̞̻͓ ҉͖p͚͍͉͕͍̦̘͘r̥̼o̪͔̺̙̥̣͡b͜l͔̟̺̩͡ę̰̬̪m̶̳͈̪͔s ̝̭̳̰r̛͖̻̲̲͉e̖̬͖͕a̼̰̭̟̥͇̹d̶̫͉͚̗̞̦̫i̦̜̣̰ng̳̻ͅ ̬̲͕͓̦̝̝i͍̗̼̣̺͈̗͘t̷̗̰,̻̝̖ ̸̟ͅa̲̯͎̤͕̯͖m̤͎͈̯͙ I͖̯ͅ ̶̱r͓̣̯i̷͍̗̗͈̱̰̩g̜͙̠̱̣ͅht̹̖͕͙?̙̞͈͍͠  
> There will be a lot going on in the next chapter-  
> But anyway I hope you liked this one!


	10. Chilling next to a corpse

Hide was standing still in the black alley, his eyes fixated on the girl before him. She was scared shitless, he knew it but couldn’t help it though. It was all for Kaneki. 

One must suffer for the other to be happy, Hide knew it well and refused Kaneki to be the sad one again. 

‘So for him I must do it right? So we can be happy right? For his happiness I can do anything, kill and bring back to life whole world if needed.’

The girls screamed making him want to end this before his eardrums explode. ‘Let’s finish this quickly so I can come back to Kaneki earlier...’ He inched closer towards her looking at his knife in his right hand. The blond sharpened it yesterday....she’s gonna be cut up so fucking nicely. She should be grateful she can be of some use.

As he raised the armed hand the girl cringed and screamed even louder, fortunately nobody’s going to hear her in his part of the town at this hour. It was his routine now, once every two weeks he would befriend some stupid girl and make her come to a place nobody sane would go. Next he would kill without a second thought and collect all the meat he could, leaving the body in some nearby bush or river. This routine changed however when the blond heard the voice that wasn’t supposed to echo in the dark of the alley and right behind human’s back.

“Hide...” The soft voice he loved so much whispered his name. The air was still and a sudden rush of emotions run through the blond’s body.

'No. He can’t be here. It’s just your imagination.’ he reprimanded himself in his head.

The voice came closer, possibly only a few meters the human “Hide look at me please.” The ghoul came closer and reached for Hide’s back.

‘It can’t be him. CAN’T. If it really is Kaneki then he would know...He would know that I-! That I am-!’

“It’s okay Hide, I knew.” The ghoul came towards Hide hugging him tightly, making shushing sounds as he swayed them forth and back slightly creating a relaxing pattern. The two of them were just standing there, Kaneki having no response from the blond.

The girl stood up now, seemingly wanting to fled when she had the chance. Or at last when she thought she had a chance. The female was walking next to the wall supporting herself. She must have broken something when she fell down with all that impact. Step by step she was walking towards the only exit of the alley eyeing the pair with fear. Only then Kaneki stepped back from Hide and turned towards the girl. She froze right where she was standing and stared into ghoul’s soft gray eyes. Kaneki was smiling slightly and probably that gave her some kind of hope. Needless hope.

“I know you didn’t do anything wrong. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time...” the ghoul started “...but I can’t have anybody know about this ‘incident’. You understand this right?” 

She clenched her fists and smiled slightly making herself look more confident then she actually was. Kaneki knew this, the smell of fear was coming from her like waves.”I-I won’t tell anyone! I p-promise!” The ghoul smiled but it was a sad kind of smile the girl thought to herself.

Kaneki left Hide one step behind himself, the human still didn’t move one bit. “Okay. I trust you. You can go.” And with a wave of the hand he gestured her to go.

“R-really?”

“Yeah. Just go and don’t look back.” Saying that the ghoul moved towards his distressed human.

She didn’t need to be told twice and started running as fast as her damaged leg let her and when she was a few meters from the street she felt herself fall down on her knees. From her stomach or rather something that once had been her stomach extended an appendage looking like a tentacle. Red as her intestines. Or was it red because it had her guts on it. She couldn’t decide and didn’t really have to. It didn’t really matter, since she was already dead. 

The kagune went back into the ghoul's back with sickening snaps and rattles. “I’m sorry. That’s the only way I can be sure you won’t tell anybody about Hide.” The ghoul turned towards his human standing in the place he left him. Kaneki knew at some point it had to happen but it didn’t made it anywhere easier. 

“Hey, Hide.” The ghoul put his hands on human’s, slowly taking the knife out of his hold and tossing it under their feet. Brown eyes were helplessly fixated on the ground. “Hide I knew what you were doing for a long time now, I tried to bring it up so many times but you always evaded this subject so...I decided to follow you. It was the only way for me too talk about it with you and-“

Finally the hazel colored eyes looked up at the ghoul. “You...knew...?” The tears started streaming slowly out of his eyes dropping to the ground. His voice was hoarse from all raw emotions he was experiencing. 

Kaneki hugged his human tighter. “Yes Hide. Ever since the beginning.”

“And you’re not scared of me? You don’t think I’m disgusting, a psycho, a murderer?” He clinged to the ghoul, clawing at his shirt. His head was hidden in the crook of Kaneki’s neck. The ghoul was feeling the wetness of the human's tears wetting his shirt. The white haired boy slightly moved away so he could look at Hide’s face clearly. “Of course not Hide. You are my precious person and you did it all for me, didn’t you?” He whispered sadly, cupping Hide’s face with his hands. “K-Kaneki...aren’t you scared that I’ve changed? That I'm not the same as I used to be?” He said hiccupping. 

“It’s okay Hide...” The ghoul was massaging his back in a soft manner. "It doesn’t matter how much you change I will always belong to you and stay by your side. This I promise.”

The blond ceased sobbing and stepped back from his friend.

“Hide?”

The human crouched and picked up the knife from earlier clenching it like his life depended on it. Oh so slowly the blond stood up and when he did, he looked straight into ghoul’s eyes. His voice from now on was as cold as the ice. “Are you telling the truth? You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” He moved away from his friend even more and raised the hand with the knife towards the ghoul, the white haired boy just stared back in something akin to shock yet not quite. “If...if you’re lying then I probably should just...” he sobbed a bit “...end it before you’re going to leave me again. Right? I wouldn't survive if it happened again.” Having said that the human started to shake uncontrollably putting his knife near to his throat, his eyes were full of tears again.

Kaneki stiffened visibly, eyeing the knife and his panicked friend and then...

...simply smiled, pouring all his feelings for the blond into it. “But that’s the truth. I will never leave you.” In an instant the human collapsed under the weight of his own emotions, tossing the knife away and starting to cry and sob uncontrollably. Kaneki came closer enveloping Hide in his arms. 

“C’mon Hide, let’s go home.” The human nodded with his face hidden under ghoul’s chin. “I’m sorry, I was just so scared that if you see me like this- like a murderer I am you would be scared or run away from me again and I-“ The blond was hyperventilating again. That won’t do.

The ghoul pressed his forehead to blond’s scalp making him relax. When they finally parted Kaneki outstretched his hand towards Hide. "Then...shell we come back? It's pretty late and I know you've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah. We probably should." The human said giggling weakly. "Thank you buddy for- for everything really."

"Don't mention it, now let's go." He hold the humans hand in his, feeling relieved that everything was fine now. Except for the girl, oh well. Sacrifices had to be made. 

Kaneki knew that he has changed.  
He also knew that Hide has changed.  
But it didn't really matter as long as they had each other.  
'Yeah.' Kaneki vaguely thought 'That's enough."

In an instant everything they had made shattered like glass with only three words shouted into night air. “Stay right there!” They found a men wearing white coat standing about twenty meters from them under lantern light. In an instant Kaneki took his kakuja out and enveloped his human in it before the men would spot his human in the dark of the alley. Hide was trying to say something, while hidden in the end of Kaneki's tail, that came out like a muffled pouting. 'Thank god my kakuja is now much bigger or else this wouldn't work at all' Kaneki thought and faced the investigator with his mask on and cold stare of his one lone eye. 

 

~Oh this scent~

“A̕m͠o͟n͏,͠ ҉isn’t̵ it? ͝I͜’͡m͝ ͠r̷e̕al̢ly ͘p̷leas͠ed̨ tǫ s͡e͟ę y̴ou ̢di̕dņ'̢t ̡die ͏a̵fter͘ ͠our ͜liţtle ̛enco̸u͟nter.̛ N̷ow͘ i͜f yo͞u co̡u͟l͝d͝ ̴j̧u͟s̸t̴ let m̢e ͡go.͝.̧.”

“Eyepatch... You know I can’t do that.” He looked with pity and disgust at the corpse laying next to him. "You said you didn't want to be a murderer and yet... I thought you were different, but after all a ghoul is just a ghoul..." he glanced at Kaneki with something that almost resembled...disappointment?

"W͟oųld͢ y͘o̡u ͞be̡l̛i͞ȩve ̡me͘ ҉If I̷ sa͡id ̢I̢ d͢i̛d ͏it fo̡r͞ a̢ re҉ason̶?"

"Of course not. What sane human would believe a ghoul." Kaneki flinched at the comment looking at his tail discretely.

"The҉n҉ ̶I̧ gu̶es̸s t̴a̵lk̢ing͘ ͝is ̶impossible ̛f̷or n̴ow. ̵We͞ll̵, ͡lat̸e҉r̶ In͘ve̶st̷igat̨or͏ A̕mon͠. ̕Th̶e͟ s͞tr̛e͜e̴ts are͠ ̴dark ̴and҉ d͞a̶ņg̛e̵ro̴us at̢ nįgh̵t͡.̶ Be c̷ar̡e̢f͟u̶l!͏" The ghoul smirked saying the last part and still holding Hide in his kagune's grasp jumped towards the Dove. The man, prepared for an attack, swished his quincke forward, not expecting the ghoul to just jump over him. When the kakuja flew above Amon the man clearly saw that the ghoul was holding something, he caught a glimpse of a bright blond hair with brown roots. A person...? A...human?

'Huh?'

After a few seconds of fruitless chasing the man heard the ghoul's words from far away carried by the night air "I̸ ͡ho̕p̡e̶ ͜we ̢ca̡n̵ ̕m̶e̕et̛ ͏a͡g̶ain҉ ̵under differ̡ent͟ c͜i͟r͘cum҉sta͡n͞ces, I̸nvestiga̢tor Ąmon͡!"

'So do I, you freaking ghoul.' The man sighted and went to investigate the corpse. 

~*~

When that two finally got to the apartment Hide was asleep in Kaneki's strong hold. The ghoul changed his human's clothes, then placed his the blond in their shared bed. The white haired boy placed a blanket on the other before joining him on bed as well, curling his kakuja around the other protectively.

Amon saw him, that's not good but as long as he didn't notice his Hide then it's okay. After everything that happened the ghoul became found of the investigator. Maybe it was foolish but as long as his human would be safe Kaneki wanted to refrain from killing him.

Kaneki looked at Hide's sleeping face, slow breaths and quiet snorts were the only sounds in the room at the moment. Just by being with his human made him so happy and content. He will never let somebody else take his Hide. Never. Ever.

The kagune tightened around the blond making him whimper in his sleep. In an instant the ghoul's grip loosened. Kaneki laid his head next to HIde's and willed his mask to disappear. Then he laid next to the human's chest and listened to his slow heartbeat, letting the soothing sound to bring him sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter was really hard, especially because I had so many ideas for it. After thinking about the possibilities for about two days I came to conclusion that this one is the best.  
> So I have the plot figured out for next 3 chapters and at the and things are gonna go either good (for our babies) or really bad(for everyfreakingone), I still can't decide!  
> The next chapter will be mostly fluff but then... ψ(｀∇´)ψ  
> Comments are much appreciated! They motivate the shit out of me.


	11. Having centipedes under your skin might make wearing a skinny t-shirts look weird

A heel hit the marble floor with a loud thud "So let me get this straight. You are saying you found the Centipede and didn't follow the procedure of calling me right away?" The glare Akira was sending him right then was something really, really disturbing. 

He couldn't help it sounded very foolish when she put it like that, still he couldn't say anything about the conversation he and the ghoul had. In the CCG it wasn't uncommon to be fired after trying to reason with a ghoul. In doves eyes' they should be nothing more than monsters and beasts after all.

"Well, yeah...I-I mean there was a girl and- and I wanted to help her first. but when I noticed that she's dead the ghoul wasn't there anymore."

Her brows furrowed even more. "I thought I told you to call me as fast as the ghoul shows. No matter the circumstances. Why couldn't you do it?" She said tiredly. Why she let Amon go alone, the woman didn't know herself.

He wanted to and this discussion as fast as possible, not only for his mental health but also for his eardrums. "I have to go to the chateau and report all this, are you going with me?"

"I think I should go with you, after all you're practically a magnet for ghouls so it would be much safer if we both go.

He narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. "That makes perfect sense... So we depart now or-"

"Fabulous and expensive breakfast first." She turned on her hell and left for the restaurant in their hotel. 

"Just as I thought." The investigator murmured following her to the expensive place.

-*-

Drawing back the curtains with his kagune, Kaneki let the brightness of the day shine through the windows. He was currently being a night pillow to his human but it didn't bother him in the slightest.

Seeing the shiny blond hair and a lazy sleepy smile on his human"s face was truly a sign of peace for the ghoul. He wanted the moment to last forever but he knew Hide had to go soon. 

Resenting his duty he started to rouse the blond from his sleep. "Wake up, sleepy head~" the playfulness was audible in his voice. He couldn't help himself thought, waking up his human was always a funny thing to do, every time he behaved differently; sometimes he would mumble something under his breath and quickly go out of the bed, now and then he would just pat Kaneki and go back to sleep much to his best friend's dismay, or -just like today- the blond would do something extraordinary.

The human opened his eyes, looked at Kaneki and gave him a 100 vat smile the ghoul loved so much. "Haha. Okay, I'll go but you have to cuddle with me for at least five minutes." the human grinned "Deal?"

He really didn't have to wait for long as Kaneki enveloped his human in his warm arms."Deal." They laid like that on the king size bed they owned, Hide still under covers hugged by the ghoul whose kagune was laying behind him stretching sluggishly. 

Hide saw Kaneki's kagune as something that represents his feelings without any boundaries. He was already so skilled at reading them, that by the behavior of his best friend's tentacles he could easily tell his mood or even things the ghoul was thinking about - to some extent of course. After the blond managed to convince Kaneki it was okay to have his kagune out all the time when they're at home, the ghoul would let his appendages out as soon as front door were closed and he made sure the windows were concealed. At first the limbs weren't a hindrance - they still aren't - but the 'clinginess' of said appendages was something hard to accommodate to. 

At the beginning when Kaneki was preoccupied with something, reading a book for example, and Hide was near him, one of the red tendrils would extend to the human seemingly in need of petting. The blond didn't complain, instead he was glad he could study his friend's 'changes' more closely. Then more tentacles came wrapping around his human limbs without their owner knowing, making it quite impossible for Hide to move. It had happened countless times already but thankfully the human wasn't angry at Kaneki and he was extraordinary grateful for that.

Now the kagune was starting to wrap around Hides arms, hugging him closer to the white haired boy. "Hide, you have work, remember?" Kaneki said worryingly bumping Hide's head with his own. "And you don't have much time either." Hide just groaned signalizing no will of getting up soon. Two out of four tentacles were already around the human clinging tightly and that just made an idea pop into Hide's head.

The human slowly took one of his hands and prodded the nearest tentacle to it. With a few gentle strokes the rest of Kaneki's bonus limbs were stretching towards the human making a cocoon around the blond.

"Hide, I know where you're going with this. Out of the bed. Now!" He brought his commanding voice out to motivate his human but failed miserably chuckling when the blond poked one of his red appendages.

"That's it Hide. For a moment I thought about giving in to my lazyness and making you stay but you had to say it." The ghoul mumbled in an angry tone kicking his friend out of the bed.

"Okay, okay, but you have to admit that joke was pretty ghoul." The blond said grinning like an idiot he was. 

"Oh my god. Just go dress yourself. I can't reason with you, it seems." He huffed and went under the covers all by himself, already missing his human heater.

The blond laughed quietly to himself 'It seems everything between me and Kaneki is normal again. I'm glad...' Then looked at the clock standing on the nightstand. He had nine minutes to go to his workplace. "Oh shit! Kaneki why didn't you tell me I don't have much time?!" He shouted running to the wardrobe randomly picking clothes to wear. 

'That was what I was saying all the time... Well, that's Hide for you.'

The blond run towards the ghoul and leaned towards his friend with a nervous laugh "My bloody sign please. Hurry tho, I don't have time." Now, that really was the most favorite of ghoul's activities. Kaneki quickly cut his lip with his teeth and inhaling Hide's scent let a few drops of blood stey in his collarbones.

After the small red place was neatly covered by shirt collar the human stood up and-  
"See you later 'Neki!"  
-shouted storming off through the door. 

"See you, you dork!" He said back with a goofy smile stretching his lips. He was so happy living like this. Just he and his Hide. Isn't it just perfect?

Suddenly he felt a tug on his back, since the 'Touka incident' it happened an awful lot of time. The ghoul sighted and relaxed as best as he could feeling the kakuja kagune wander around under his skin. Slowly the regular rinkaku retreated leaving space for what's to come. In a slow fashion the enormously big centipede tail emerged from his back and the mask creped on his face, forming along with his antennae. Making himself comfortable in blankets full of Hide's smell he fell asleep yet again.

~*~ 

"I've got some things to discuss with our superiors so you got to take the package from the delivery boy - Nagachika, you should know him, there are some important information and things that hopefully will help us find the one responsible for all this."

Amon stopped and looked at Akira with curiosity. "You mean the Feeder or the Centipede?"

She met his glare and said smiling."Both. See you later then." And walked away living him alone in the hallway.

~*~

He was next to the entrance waiting for Hide to come. The man was starting getting bored with looking at all the not watered plants the CCG had in the waiting room when right before him flashed familiar blond hair with hazel brown roots - Hide. He stood up when everything from the night before came back to him. The hair...!

'No way.  
I must be paranoiac.  
Not only the light was bad, but he's not the only one with dyed hair in the ward.  
Wait.  
Where does Hide even live?'

The blond passed some mail to the secretary and turned towards Amon. The investigator didn't have much time to think before said man came to him with a friendly smile. "Hello there Amon-san." 

'I must say that talking to him as if nothing happened is really weird, I'm not complaining tho. Not being arrested is cool. From his reaction I can tell he didn't see it was me with Kaneki that night, still I can't be too careful ."How is life treating you?" He added.

"Not good I'm afraid." Amon unintentionally smiled as well. The blond's outgoing was making the atmosphere less tense then when he was alone. "But let's get right to the business, you've got a package for me, right Nagachika?"

"Huh? No, not yet. And Hide is fine, by the way. I think I clearly told Akira-san that I'll give you the package at 2 pm. Didn't she tell you anything?"

The man groaned, he knew she was acting weird, she just didn't want him to be at the meetings. Was it a good thing or a bad thing...He couldn't figure it out."Well, she didn't."

"Women, right?" Hide chuckled. I won't be coming back to the CCG headquarters today so maybe we'll meet somewhere in the city later okay?"

"I'm going to have a meeting at 1 pm that will probably take two hours, I'm sorry. I'll try to find somebody to pick the package for me-

"No, no. There's no need for that. After I would give it to you I would have a lunch break anyway. I can wait until you finish."

"Really?"

"Sure, no problem man. Where are we gonna meet?"

"I think I'll wait at the 'Old Songs Cafe", do you know it?"

"Sure I've been there with my friend." The blonde checked the time. "Gotta go, see you there!" 

 

~*~

The ghoul groaned loudly, he really shouldn't sleep for so long, it made him unbelievable lazy. He sit up and rubbed his eyes, something felt...a bit different?

The white haired boy looked at his hand, they had a few places that looked like scales, similar to those on his rinkaku, or...on a dragon, as Hide would said.

'What the hell is that' He thought closely inspecting himself. There were small and bloody red, now that's something his human is going to look at all day. Suddenly something rubbed his hip, startled the ghoul looked at the place and what he found shocked him completely. His kakuja kagune was now extending towards his sides and tights looking like a living armor-suit.

'Just great.' he sunk down on the bed, looking at his apparently transforming kakuja kagune. 'I really am a monster aren't I?' he thought. The tailed moved, the legs stretched and his antennae twitched at the same time. 'At last now I have it under control...'

Kaneki looked at the clock - 1 pm, Hide's still at work. Next to the clock and lamp laid a small brightly shining thing, Hide's phone.

The ghoul all of a sudden was on his legs, picking the device up. Thirteen not answered calls from his boss. 'Shit, Hide needs it as soon as possible...No choice then.' His additional limbs disappeared much to their dismay under Kaneki's skin, already moving all around looking for a place to go out.

"Stay still, I don't like it either, believe me." Then proceeded to wear decent clothes. In about five minutes he was ready to go. It usually took him no more than three but his antennae weren't really cooperative today, making it hard for ghoul's head to go through the shirt. 

Now fully prepared for the trip he headed out, while leaving he saw a black wig on a commode Hide bought a few days ago to help him blend into human society. The wig was really well made and nice looking but he didn't have time now. And left in a hurry.

The only thing the ghoul hadn't thought through was how he was going to find Hide. He could be practically everywhere in the ward. He could go to his workplace - right, he still didn't know where that is. He really should have asked Hide about that. Then maybe he could-

[Sweet]

In the air there was something akin to smell of Big Girl's burgers. It was blood and not human, but the ghoul one. The doves probably killed another of his species it seems. Judging by the intensity it must had been far away so he should be safe here. Oh well, not that he cares, he's got more important matter to think about right now.

So how should he-

[Smell]

-why didn't he think of it earlier he got no clue. The white haired boy was currently walking down a really crowded street. Walking towards a nearby alley, he stilled his thoughts and cleared his mind. When he reached the place, Kaneki closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, so many fleshbags around him but only one was his Hide. The scents mixed and trying to distinguish between all of them was really hard. There was a sweet cake, a fried fish, a jelly, a...rotten soap - dude what's wrong with you, and-

[Home]

And he knew he found what he was looking for. The ghoul sprinted, following the nostalgic scent. Knowing he would be running, Kaneki wore Hide's tracksuit that clinged to him so much a keen observant would see his rinkaku moving under his skin. Fortunately he was running too fast for anybody to notice it. Actually he was running too fast, having to remind himself that regular human couldn't run at the speed of a car. After some time he finally found his destination - a small cafe Hide and he went some time ago, which was now full of his human's scent. 

Kaneki clenched the phone in his hand harder and entered the shop, hopefully looking as human as he could.

~*~

Amon was sitting in the most quiet part of the shop as possible, after all being in your thirties and sitting all alone wasn't a great thing. And old lady that was a barista and a waitress at the same time greeted him and took his order.

In no time a familiar blond came in with a package in the size of a big dog. Seriously what did the CCG gave them this time. If all of the contents are just documents as some time ago he was officially going on vacation. 

"Have you been waiting for long, Amon-san?" Hide's lips stretched his regular grin.

"No, I've just came here."

Lifting the big gray box the blond give him some paper "Here's the package, can you sign this please?"

"Sure, and please sit down." The man returned the paper to the blond with sincere smile "I feel that I should pay you for your help-"

Hide immediately stood up, nearly knocking over the table "-you really don't have to Amon-san."

"And that's what I thought you would say, so how about I'll buy you a drink. You like sweet stuff, don't you." Amon gave the blond a menu.

'It's not safe in the slightest, but if I take up on that offer I'll be free from him later. Although...maybe he knows, maybe he just wants to... But on the other hand this gives me the opportunity to mislead him. Playing a fool here might help me make him stay away from Kaneki. This is going to be a dangerous game...'

"...Okay, but only because I know you would be trying to pay me back for the rest of your life." 

"Good, pick whatever you want then." The ink haired man relaxed in his seat, apparently glad he managed to make the blond stay.

Unexpectedly they heard the front door opening and footsteps getting louder and louder. When the human looked up from a menu he saw-

"Hide you forgot to take your..." The black haired men earlier looking through the window turned towards the ghoul looking like a deer in a headlights.

"...phone..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. Finally.  
> Fist of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your comments are what make me write this.  
> I would be to lazy without this motivation you give me. Love you all!  
> Now, back to the business.  
> Tsukiyama will probably visit us soon and Hide will not approve.  
> I poured all my heart into this chapter so I hope you'll like it.  
> I myself fell in love with Kaneki shushing his kagune to behave themselves. So cute. *3*  
> Sorry for the cliffhanger but I want everything to happen in the next chapter so stay tunned.  
> Buy gold. Bye!
> 
> P.S. Watercoloring is hard.


	12. I know you care about me but don't threaten everybody I talk to.

The dark haired man stood up suddenly, feeling uncomfortable because of not having his weapon in his hand at the moment. In front of him was standing the infamous white haired SS rated ghoul Centipede, talking with a human as if he wasn't planning on eating him after their little chat.

"There's no need to be so nervous, is there... Mr. Investigator?" The men-eater said with a polite gesture urging him to sit, so different from monster's cold eyes judging him and forcing into submission without a chance to fight back.

Amon sat slowly as if the chair could burn him. " Hideyoshi, what is the meaning of this." He really tried to make the fear in his voice impossible to hear but in current circumstances he wasn't really doing a good job he supposed.

The blond took a second glance at his best friend, who was currently looking at the investigator as a predator at an insect. Not considerating it as a threat, a plaything maybe...or something that should be removed from his way. "Sit down buddy you know it was inevitable. At least we can talk freely without Akira-san questioning everything you say and looking for a thing to fuss over."

"Akira is...his partner I suppose?" Kaneki lowered himself on a chair next to his blond, giving off his killer instinct in waves.

"Yeah, she's really stubborn." Hide giggled lightly hoping to lift the heavy atmosphere, what didn't go as well as he predicted, when he noticed the way Kaneki's eyes shined at the word 'she'. The honey colored locks waved in sync when the human turned his face towards the astonished investigator. Amon couldn't believe what was happening before his very eyes. An unimaginable threat to all human society and - ironicly- a human talking like old friends. The men knew that the teenager was out-going and acceptive but talking about weather with a fucking monster wasn't something the investigator would even begin to comprehend.

"...Thus we should buy you a fluffy cap."

"Hide, you know I can control my body temperature better then most...people, don't you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Nagachika, how can you betray your own species?" The two forgot that Amon is right there for a moment. The question went out by itself, though Amon didn't regret saying it. He had to admit he was just as curious as scared.

The air around them changed dramatically, leaving no room for small talk anymore.

"Amon-san, do you like dogs?" The blond didn't even wait for an answer. Gesticulating wildly like a professor during their lecture. "They are cute, behave differently then humans, look different from humans and yet we love them nevertheless. For me it doesn't really matter which species are we, if we get along and respect each other." He punctuated the last part with grin aimed at Kaneki, who responded with his own smile. The investigator however had none of this friendly stuff though, looking even more angry then before.

His voice lowered considerably, having a threatening undertone to it that Kaneki clearly didn't like. "Befriending a ghoul isn't the biggest problem of yours and you know what I mean, Feeder."

The blond didn't look exposed, mostly amused at the revelation.

"Oh, so you figured that out huh?"

"I haven't had any strong evidence but you confirmed it just now." The investigator didn't fell triumphant at all, mostly hollow. Like he was sitting with something that once been human, but threw its humanity away for some petty reason.

Hide chuckled nervously. "Damn. I really blew my cover just now, didn't I Kaneki?"

"Kaneki...?" Who's that supposed to be?

The ghoul was a little taken aback by investigator's reaction. Great, he perceived Kaneki only as a monster. After rolling his silver eyes the white haired boy let a resigned puff of air out. "That's my name. I don't know what you guys at the CCG think, but my name is not Centipede, you know. That actually made me notice that we still haven't formally introduced ourselves. " The ghoul stood up and flattened his black shirt. "Let me start then. My name is Kaneki Ken, Kamii's ex-student and..." He stopped for a second looking at the shop's customers. Noticing the barista from earlier talking with an old man away from them the ghoul continued. "...an SS rated ghoul, Centipede." He ended his utterance with a playful smirk, as if testing the Dove and his nerves of steel.

If you really want to make me to loose my composure you has to try a lot harder than that, you ghoul.

Fine then, I will play your little game. Without standing up the men announced automatically with bored expression like he did a hundred times over on formal meetings and such. "My name's Amon Koutarou, a Special Class Investigator. I'm pleased to meet you. " After thinking about what he's just said the men added. "Actually forget the last part."

Kaneki wasn't fazed by the last statement at all, letting the conversation continue. "It's nice to finally get to know you properly, Amon-san"

"Don't patronize me. Centipede." Amon moved in his chair looking for position that wouldn't make him look so stiff and uptight.

With a small laugh the white haired ghoul moved even closer to his human and looked at Amon with something similar to arrogance. "I wouldn't dream of it...To be honest I thought that after telling you my name you would actually use it..."

"In your dreams, ghoul. We are not friends nor acquaintances."

"But we might be." The ghoul put his hands on the coffee table, laying his chin on palm of his right limb.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what is going to happen now? You are sitting here completely defenseless with me -a ghoul and my human friend. How do you exactly picture our parting?"

All blood left Amon's face and went to his thrumming heart. Centipede's playfull attitude made him forget about the danger of having such a beast near him. "You actually plan on-"

"Now, now. Please don't jump to conclusions Amon-san. You should realise by now that 'making you disappear' isn't what I want to do. What I had in mind is something akin to a...truce, maybe?"

What is that man-eater thinking?! "A truce...?"

" Yes. Hear me out please. You won't tell anybody about me and Hide, also you will act like nothing happened between you two-

"I can't simply not repor-

"Listen when I talk, Amon-san." The white haired ghoul said with a cold stare and his index finger near his mouth. "Like I said, you won't tell anybody and in return I will be your informant or even help you with your...dirtier work sometimes. Sounds good doesn't it? Truly...if this wasn't to ensure my human's safety I wouldn't give you such generous offer."

Hide sipping his second cappuccino with all sweet additions possible suddenly spoke pouting. "Kaneki I can take care of myself as well!"

"I'm not going to argue with you right now about that, Hide. So your decision?" The blond pouted again and went back to eating his marshmallows swimming around small pieces of chocolate and cinnamon. 

'It wasn't the greatest offer of all times, but having Centipede as an informant would be really helpful and having the monster as an assistant during unpredictable battles - even more. Not only that, the whole thing was made by the ghoul only to make Hide safe from all accusations and don't lose his current job. He would have one of the most wanted ghouls on a tight leash. This was a great deal, but he couldn't get ahead of himself.'

"And why should I even consider agreeing to this...deal of yours?"

Suddenly Kaneki lowered his head and closed his eyes.

This greedy human! I should ju͡st̷ r̥̻͘ͅi͎p͎ ̮͠h̘͍̣͓̗̠i̻̜̮̖͖̙ṃ̴̮͍̙ a͇̘͎͊ͫ̽̌̚p͕̦͓̻̩̌͐͗͊ͫ̃a̸̺͎̪̓ͣṙ̭̰͓̱̔̈ͫ̎ṱ̗ ̘̣̪̩̩̍̂̀́̏̒ͮr̶̵̪͇i̞̭͍̱͞ͅͅg̶̩̗̹̻͇̞h̡̥͍̭͖͟t̡̙͚̥̱̭̪͉̕͡ ͠҉̠̹̼̣͎͡n̴̢̲̥̼̹͓̭̤o͏̛̙̤̲͓̼̫͍̗͡w̸̛̜͓̗!̬

N̶̷͉͚̘̳͔̟͈o̳͉̲̼̕.̨̬͈̮̯ N͞ơ̷͞.̷̡.̡.̶ B̷r͠e̛a͝th...in...out...in...

I gave him such great conditions and yet he wants more...truly an insatiable being.

"Is 'if you don't want to wake up with your female partner intestines up your throat' an argument?" The ghoul answered lifting his head. Instantly pissing the ghoul investigator off.

"Don't you dare hurt her! You filthy ghoul."

"Then agree."

The man looked doubtful, he certainly wasn't prepared for blackmailing. As much as earlier he thought it was a good arrangement, now he was hesitating. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No. We have a deal then! If you need something from me then let Hide know when you want to meet and I'll be there for sure. Then if you excuse us, we should go it's getting late."

"Uh. Sure." The man took a sip of his now cold coffee and finally relaxed while the two were wearing their coats. "See you around, investigator." "Bye, Amon-san!"

Both of them went to the barista to pay for their coffee and were walking towards the exit when the man heard Centipede say:

"Let's go on a small walk later, shell we Hide? I'm getting hungry..." H said looking back at the the Dove staring into his eyes for a moment and smiling sweetly.

The door bell rang and the two were heading towards Hide's apartment in comfortable silence. After some time the blond simply started with humor. "You know, that was a little much even for you. That whole stuffing Amon-san with Akira intestines thing."

"Hide I will do anything to keep you safe and sound. And it wasn't even the most picturesque thing I could do and you know it."

Hide blushed wildly and hugged his friend nearly making them trip."That's so creepily sweet of you Kaneki, but you really don't have to threaten everyone around me." The ghoul let the last comment slide.

"Oh, I forgot to give you your phone - you left it at home and your boss called a lot of times. You should probably call him as soon as possible."

"Yeah, yeah, mom. I'll do it when we'll be on our bed and under plethora of blankets, so it will hopefully lessen the stress I'll get from the talk."

"And I'll be finally able to let my kagune out. Oh joy." 

For a few minutes Hide was quiet the turned towards Kaneki with a confused expression. "Earlier you didn't have the need to let it out all the time, I mean...what's changed?"

"I can't tell you, because even I don't really know. It's just really weird for me to keep it in like... like sitting with your legs and arms folded for hours in the most uncomfortable position you can possibly imagine. You just want to stretch everything out, and that's what I fell right now."

"Cool, that means I'll have more of your centipede-heater tonight!" The human jumped raising his hands above head like a happy little kid.

"It's not centipede-heater..."

In the hall in front of their apartment's door on the floor was sitting a young man wearing yellow-red dress suit and black shoes. His face looked kind of sad and eyes were closed in deep sleep. The fluffy purple hair almost lost its color in the weak light. The second they came closer the man woke up and looked up at the familiar form of white haired boy, weak voice broke the silence piercing their ears with its ringing.

"Kaneki-kun...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't post this chapter earlier. A lot have happened in the last two weeks and I didn't have time to write it at all. ;-;  
> I'm NOT abandoning this fic, ever. I love writing it after all!  
> ( And I believe that people that abandon their fics have special place in hell. )  
> Hope you like this chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> Lately I've seen lot's of fanart of fanfics I've read and wanted to do some of Centipede whisperer. I got pencil, rubber and paper and then came to conclusion I can't fucking draw.


	13. They say if a white dove crosses your way you're a dead ghoul.

"Kaneki-kun...?"

"Tsukiyama-san..." The white haired ghoul came closer as if in a trance, his movement were nearly impossible to hear when he crouched down next to the man looking into his eyes with relief and something akin to pity. 

"Kaneki-kun. I-I'm so glad you're alive..." a few unstoppable sobs broke through Tsukiyama cold facade. A few stray tears started slowly making their way down the man's hollowed cheeks and grey, dry lips. "I thought...I thought you died! But-But then Little Mouse showed me pictures with you and I had to..." Tsukiyama lowered his head hiding it behind his knees.

Until this moment Hide was simply watching the scene but he really felt like Kaneki shouldn't have his grand reunion with his...associate?

..͜.̛ a͝cq͠uai̵n̸ta͠nc̴e?̕

̵.̢..̕f͜͡r̨i̸ȩn̷͜͡d̵̕͜?̵ ̸

on the floor in the hall.

"Okay, I don't know what is going on but I think we should do it in our living room instead. What do you think Kaneki?" The blond opened the door and was standing in the threshold, waiting for them to come in.

"Tsukiyama-san, can you stand up?" Kaneki asked in a manner most people would think that he truly was concerned about the man. But Tsukiyama having known Kaneki for a long time now, knew that it was a simply rhetorical question. What a fool he was to make a martyr out of himself right next to Kaneki's and that human's door.

The purple haired man stood up slowly folding his arms and clenching his fingers, making sure that the short amount of time will be enough to control his rampaging emotions.

What emotions...?

Over the time he spent with the young halfling, he changed. He knew that, mainly because he no longer wanted to devour his flavour but to protect it, cherish it. Somewhere along the way, Gourmet started liking Kaneki for his strong will, his character and personality instead of the unique test of his flesh. He knew that being this way is not only bad for his reputation but dangerous as well. Yet for some unknown reason he found himself in need of Kaneki's presence even more than his exclusive taste. 

Tsukiyama led by the human went inside the apartment, and after taking off his expensive, as Hide noted, shoes sat on the sofa in their living room. The boys took their coats off and proceeded to join the purple haired man.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Tsukiyama-san."Kaneki sat in the chair on the other side of their small coffee table. Right next to his right, as if to make a statement sat Hide, his expression was a bit unreadable to Tsukiyama. Something about this human was different comparing to the gray masses on the streets, it was probably the way he moved, no...looked like an animal unpleased by uninvited quest in his territory. But the unexplained bad vibes weren't the only weird thing the human was giving off. His smell consisted of normal tasty aroma Tsukiyama without a second thought noted as human flesh and something...muskier? It wasn't unpleasant but the high density of Rc cells in that smell was making him subconsciously a bit more cautious and nervous. It must be ghoul's blood then, but whom? It had to be at least an SSS rated ghoul, for the cells smelled much different from regular ones. Could it be possible that it's...Kaneki's blood? It only made sense, after all where would the human get some ghoul blood without getting killed in process. "Hideyoshi...could it be Kaneki-kun injured himself in your presence? Maybe some of the blood got on your clothes because you smell like his blood."

Hide blushed a bit at the comment and opened his mouth slowly, visibly thinking of an answer when Kaneki interrupted him.

"There wasn't any accident, it was on purpose Tsukiyama. I've marked him as mine, that's all." The white haired ghoul exclaimed with a proudness in his tone and cold look in his eyes.

"You what?!" The ghoul shouted at Centipede, standing up suddenly and nearly tripping over the small table he hadn't seen there before.

The white haired boy brought his index finger to his mouth and in sickeningly sweet voice shushed him. "Be quiet please. You don't want to wake up our neighbours, do you?"

In a second Tsukiyama was back sitting on the soft sofa. "N-No. My apologies. Pardon my curiosity, but who is this human to you, Kaneki-kun? The SS rated ghoul nearly growled at the way the purple haired man said 'this human'. But he knew that working himself up won't do any good. 

Long forgotten in this conversation, Hide finally butted in. "Also could you tell me where do you know this ghoul from, Kaneki?"

Centipede took a deep breath and relaxed a bit in his chair. He looked at his human and smiled noticing the dumbfounded expression. "Sure...Hide, this is Tsukiyama Shuu. As you probably noticed he's a ghoul. We didn't start the best way possible, but soon he proved himself useful. After I left Anteiku...he joined me and helped me achieve my goals." 

With that Kaneki turned towards Tsukiyama and monotonously started his human's introduction.

"Tsukiyama-san, this is Hideyoshi Nagachika. My best friend and most important person you'll ever get to know, as you probably could already tell - touch him and you die. Do you understand?"

Comparing to other threats Tsukiyama heard Kaneki make this one didn't even faze the purple haired ghoul. He still knew how to detect a serious threat though, not that killing this boy would profit him in any way.

"Certainly. It's a pleasure to meet you, Nagachika-kun." He reached to give the human a handshake with a tired smile on his face. The blond shook his hand and smiled as well.

"Likewise, Tsukiyama-san and please call me Hide, only my teachers refered to me by my surname."

"Then feel free to use my given name as well."

That was a bit too far in Kaneki's opinion. Even when talking to him Hide wasn't using his given name so why this man thought that he had the right to do it.

That was u̢nac̨cep͘t͠a̷ble.

"Hide, you've got work tomorrow. We should probably go to bed right now." The ghoul said standing up and already waiting for his human to do the same and follow him.

A true gentlemen could tell when it was time to leave so right away he left the cozy cushions he was sitting on, straightening his suit. "Right. It's late, isn't it? My apologies for taking so long. I'll call a taxi right away then."

"You should stay at our place for the night, the doves are patrolling this ward all the time and even more frequently at night." Not even letting him answer the ghoul went out of the room and a minute later he came back with handful of pillows and cushions. 

"You're sleeping here. Let's go Hide." And with that, they left the very confused purple haired man in a pile of blankets.

 

~*~

 

It's not like Hide was jealous, I mean he just wanted Kaneki for himself and that weird ghoul to quickly disappear - okay maybe he was slightly jealous. He couldn't help it though, Kaneki was his everything and after nearly losing his best friend once he felt a need to be extra careful, a bit paranoid even.

The blond laid down on the soft covers of their shared bed changing into his pyjamas while the ghoul was in the bathroom. He didn't even know what to do with himself, he was anxious and resigned and...angry even. He thought that getting rid of Touka would be enough to make Kaneki forget a bit about the past and focus on the presence, on him.

The human laid down and placed his head on his favorite chicken shaped pillow when he felt a firm weight on the bed next to him.

"You've been weird since Tsukiyama came, you know Hide?" The ghoul touched his human shoulders with palms of his hands, massaging them in firm circles. "What's wrong?"

His human just mumbled something under his breath and moved away so that Kaneki couldn't touch him no more. Normally the ghoul would panic right there but guessing what this was all about he didn't really feel the need to.

The human turned his head and tucked it under his chicken pillow in a fashion of a grumpy toddler. 

That didn't manage to make the ferocious SS rated ghoul backup, and soon Hide felt Kaneki rest his chin on his right shoulder and put his hand on his side.

"Hide~" The ghoul purred in blond's ears "Do you really think I would choose anybody over you? Over my human? Hide?" His hand traveled further and now was hugging him tight.

Receiving no answer Kaneki used one of his rinkaku claws to gently cup his human's cheek, trying to make the blond at last look at him. It wasn't really effective, for Hide did everything in his muscles' power to not give in. A bit disappointed, the white haired boy let go - he wanted the blond to smile, not to break his neck. 

So instead Centipede moved closer to the human. He put his head next to Hide's neck and inhaled deeply. It was a beautiful scent indeed, as unique as the human himself. 

"Kaneki...you won't leave me again, will you?" The human said in a too high, too sad voice.

Instantly the kakuja kagune erupted from Kaneki's back enveloping Hide's body in a firm hold. Even with small tears in his eyes the blond could tell that the ghoul organ visibly expanded, the twitching centipede legs weren't as spindly as before and became longer as well. The tail was as thick as a grown man and at least ten meters long. Most of it was wrapped around him like a cocoon but the rest that couldn't fit on the bed was placed on the floor.

After a moment he realized that some part of this ghoulish sleeping bad wasn't the kagune tail. Kaneki's kagune was hugging him in a rather defensive manner, not that Hide didn't like that, his whole body pressed next to human's back.. The head was firmly resting on Hide's scalp.

"Hide, don't you ever say this again." The ghoul whispered squeezing his friend harder. "I've already promised you, I'm not going anywhere without you."

The blond laughed weakly. "Yeah, I know. I'm being dumb right now, aren't I?" The blond breathed out and clenched ghoul's hands in his own, feeling one tear drip down onto Kaneki's arm.

"No, you're not. After all it had happened once, but won't anymore. What would I do without you near me? I'm nothing without you and you know it." The ghoul ended in a whisper clinging to the blond with all his might. "We'll be together forever."

Hide smiled and put his head against ghoul's neck. "I trust you Kaneki." 

"I'm glad." At that the human felt the kagune unclench a bit, which was good because he really needed some oxygen right now. That was the most bone crushing hug he had ever experienced.

After a few minutes Kaneki slowly rolled off the cushions so he was now kneeling next to the blond with his torso gently laying on top of the human. "Hey Hide, can I mark you again? It seems that the smell almost faded out." Centipede tenderly traced blond's jaw line with his hand making him shiver a bit.

"S-Sure...ah! What?! Kaneki!!" The ghoul in one movement ripped human's collar buttons to shreds. Next he bit his tongue so hard some of the blood got onto Hide's face.

"Kaneki, why would you do that?" Hide wasn't alarmed but simply curious what the heck was Kaneki about to do now. The feeling of warm liquid on his neck quickly shushed him though.

That was very weird, Hide felt like he was at a ritual to summon Satan or something. The most unnerving thing probably was that he was okay with it.

After a few minutes Kaneki finished his gruesome work and laid down next to his Hide with a tired thump. 

"Here you go Hide~ All mine and only." At the comment human's became furiously red, so he decided to Hide his face in Kaneki's shoulder with a pitiful whine. "Why would you do that?" 

The ghoul was genuinely surprised by the question. "I told you already, didn't I?" I like it when you have my scent on you Hide, it's a way for me to tell others you're mine."

Now it was time for Hide's ears to become all red. "No, you know what I mean. Why did you rip my shirt?!"

"Felt like it."

"Felt like it?! Kaneki that was one of my batman shirts you know how-"

Suddenly there was a rinkaku claw on his mouth and Kaneki's centipede tail all over him.

"Shhh Hide, sleep. You've got work tommorow."

"Donnchumfmy!!!" The human had no other option then to sleep when the ghoul pretended to sleep himself, urging the human to do the same. 

He already pities his bladder tomorrow morning when Kaneki won't let him get up from this living cocoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Witness me and the newest 13 chapter.  
> So, Tsukiyama's here and Kaneki becomes even more possessive (how is this even possible)  
> I've had in mind a small arc but with every chapter I'm delaying it because it wouldn't fit the plot much right now.  
> Anyway! I hope you like it!  
> Have a good day~


	14. Let me show you something~

It was a perfect morning. The birds were tittering, the orange tree next to their window blooming pale, white blossoms. On a day like this, working people like Hide didn't really want to get up. Especially because his best friend was wrapped around him like an octopus, or a kraken considering his size. 

The ferocious ghoul had his head settled on top of the human's chest making breathing slightly difficult. Oh, well, just seeing his content smile is a sufficient enough payment, he supposed. Kaneki's kakuja was laying half on the bed, half on the floor just like the day before- the only difference was that now Hide's head was resting on the abnormally big centipede tail instead on a pillow. In one word - they were a tangle of limbs, cushions, and long spindly legs that clicked when he brushed them aside. 

It was moments like this that Hide cherished the most, the peacefulness and contentment of his long lost friend laying alongside him. It was still early, no later than half past five in the morning. The blond truly needed to get up though, for he was supposed to work from seven am to three pm, and he didn't want to repent later for not eating a big breakfast now.

What finally helped him get up was the bitter smell of coffee that managed to make its way to their room from the kitchen. He carefully moved Kaneki onto his body pillow (when did it get here?) and gently unclenched the kakuja tail from his abdomen and legs, replacing it with the much more unyielding surface of the bed frame. 

The way his ghoul looked right now was simply mesmerizing- the small yet masculine body curled up in the cushions without a care in the world. At peace. Finally.

The young human picked some still fresh clothes from the pile draped over his chair and made his way towards the energizing smell. He needed something to wake him up internally, even though he was working as delivery boy for a month now he couldn't get used to waking at this ungodly hour, at all.

When he entered the small room, Hide was welcomed by a lean man in red suit pants and a grotesque, yellow shirt. He was humming some English song softly under his breath- half bad, the blond had to admit, preparing a cup of coffee.

Hide decided to just sit at the counter and wait for the man to finish. That's when it got a little bit weird.

 

~*~

 

The house was full of Kaneki-kun's scent and thanks to that Tsukiyama's mind was finally at ease. For the first time since the raid he supposed. He was content with just being here.

He had been made to sleep on a horribly uncomfortable sofa in horribly unfashionable clothes, but it wasn't like he could complain. Gourmet was truly joyful that Kaneki let him stay in his and that human's apartment, it was such a great feeling, being at his side again. 

The only new addition was the human, 'Hideyoshi' as he recalls. The blonde didn't seem intimidating but something inside Tsukiyama's long asleep intuition told him that the whole submissive and quiet attitude is merely a shell for something far more sinister and gruesome, just like Kaneki himself. 

He hoped he could get to know this new exciting taste in his life, after all, the young ghoul and the human get along very well. If Kaneki's joined at the hip with him, there must be a reason and it was in Tsukiyama's nature to find out what made him so special.

Due to the very uncomfortable sofa he had woken up early and after laying for fifteen minutes futilely trying to go to sleep again, he decided to make himself some coffee. He knew for a fact that living with the one eyed one made having at least four different coffee brands a necessity. 

After putting on his neatly folded clothes, the man proceeded to the offendingly small kitchen and started preparing the coffee beans.

He was absentmindedly murmuring lyrics to some song he heard in a radio long ago, when he suddenly felt cold.

He's whole body was numb.

His thoughts frozen.

His whole being just screamed. ****

**̟̘̘̮͚̪̗̓ͨͯ͌̚D̯̳̪̱̟̬͌ͨͨ̍̋̐͐ ̩ͦ̂ ̬̣̦̪́͊ͧ ̩ͨ̓A̰͓ͨ̎̑̀̈͘ ̣̈̂̑ ͊̊ͮ̍͏̻͖̣̦̲ͅͅ ̴̹͖͇͈̒ͨ͐̑͐ͧ̊N̨ͬ̔̆̋̀̔͊ ͔͉̼͓̥̘͖͑ͬ͊̏ͬ ̩̬̋̒ͬ̾̚ ̯̗͖̙̝̲̳͂̓ͨ̅͒̽͐G̸̘̟̳̭̐͗ͪ ͂̓̚͏͉ ̯̰̬̲̇ͨ͘ ̤̻̘͔̳ͦ̃ͣ̂͊ͅÈ̻̪̞͓͍̯͝ ̦̦̻̰͔͔̬ͩ̃ ̛͈̟͔ ͍͙̩̲̯͉͕̈̊͒͋Ṛ̷̟̜̮ͬ̏ͪͮ͒̐͆**

****  
On instinct the ghoul let go of the cup, letting it shatter on beige floor tiles with a loud cracking sound. In a second he was right next to the wall terrified for his life, his kakugan activated but kagune refusing to go out. It was as if it completely surrendered, knowing that fighting would be futile.

"Cazzo!"

He was bewildered seeing none other than the human himself sitting at the counter, looking as shocked as he did. But Tsukiyama knew it wasn't about the human it was the...

Smell!  
Hide reeked like a wounded, an at least 'SSS' rated ghoul. By no means could a human giving off such scent be considered normal.

"W-What's wrong, Tsu- Shuu-san?" The human had some suspicions but he wanted to be sure...

Tsukiyama left the wall a bit ungracefully and moved nearer to the young blonde, inhaling the aroma, and the closer he was the more shocked he seemed. He smelled the blood of a very dangerous ghoul, he deduced, basing on the cloying amount of RC cells he could smell and that it was abnormally sweet for a ghoul. He came even closer.

"Shuu-san?" Hide was gradually more and more aware of the man invading his personal space and almost sniffing him without any kind of response. Wow, rude.

Suddenly, Gourmet stilled when the smell finally made itself strangely familiar. 

'Could it be...Kaneki's? But wasn't he supposed to be freshly SS rated?' Well, that had to wait until the young ghoul wakes up. 

"Hello, Tsukiyama-san?" The blond asked again, for the third time in a row, waving his hand in front of the man's eyes, waiting for something that would tell he's not a statue.

"Oh, oh! I'm sorry Hide-kun. Such rudeness. My deepest apologies."

"That's fine, man. Just tell me what made you so jumpy in the morning. Could it be it's not you first cup of coffee today?" The blond said, grinning like an idiot. He knew that ghouls were supposed to smell his best friend's blood on him.

He simply didn't think that it would work so...spectacularly. 

To tell the truth, Kaneki said that ghouls were supposed to be able to smell the amount of some cells in his blood and tell them he's dangerous, but come on! This guy looked like he could kill at least five people on a split whim, and if he was scared for his life due to the scent then...he really was sleeping with a monster in the same bed. Not like the average radioactive mutant spider one, but a Godzilla or a Cthulu for sure!

He should have written 'monster tamer' on his CV!

His rather weird train of thought was hindered by the ghoul.

"Hide-kun? Could you tell where did you got this blood?"

"Sure I guess? It's Kaneki's." At this Tsukiyama relaxed a bit, and settled down on a chair on the other side of the counter, staring intently at the blond.

"Kaneki has been marking you? And this blood...is really his?"

Hide felt kinda proud that Kaneki was that powerful. "Yeah. Something wrong with it?"

"N-No. I was just...surprised. It smells like there is a lot." Tsukiyama moved a bit closer to him, looking closely at his neck and collarbone.

"Well, he...made sure to get enough to make the big scary ghouls...go away? I dunno, man. Ask Kaneki. It's his doing after all."

"That's seems to be a good idea, but I'll wait until he wakes up. In the meantime, would you like some coffee, Hide?"

"Oh sure, I'd love to." The blond smiled in a way that Tsukiyama knew that there wouldn't be just 'morning weather' talk.

 

~*~

 

'Where's my human?' The ghoul scanned the bed cushions with the one, keen eye on his mask. 'He must have woken up to make himself breakfast, after all he won't be home for eight hours straight.' Kaneki stretched and decided laying in bed isn't worth not seeing Hide before work. The ghoul got up and put on an excessively huge t-shirt Hide bought him for times when Kaneki doesn't feel like putting his kakuja kagune away. Just like at the moment.

The smell of coffee made him less drowsy, and soon the ghoul was walking towards the sweet-bitter scent. He was welcomed by the sight of Tsukiyama and Hide talking over cups of coffee. He wanted to say hello right away but then he heard-

"That's why it's important not to let others from the shop find him. Do you get everything I told you?" Hide asked with a polite but still very awry smile. He looked cute like this, Kaneki thought, with his bed hair and in a dinosaur shirt. 

Tsukiyama, on the other hand looked a bit too pale and tense. He wore his normal bright coloured clothes, making Kaneki wish for an eyelid on his mask's eye. They must have talked about him...well, at least nothing bad had happened.

He must say that it really feels good when somebody won't question your every decision and instead give some advice. That person was definitely the violet haired ghoul. It wasn't that he trusted Tsukiyama, he just knew that the man wouldn't do anything to oppose him or make him angry. With hindsight, he supposed the ghoul was rather useful. 

He can't be too sure though, after all everybody beside his Hide would betray him just like some little ukaku gh͡o̴u̵l͘ h̶͘҉e ̕͞h҉̨aḍ̸̰ ̗̦̻̘͜t̸̘͇̦̬͓̯̞o̴̻͟-̨̳͈͈̯͠

Kaneki felt his kagune clenching on air aggressively, making him look like the bloodthirsty predator he was. 

E̕͏͜a҉̨sy...it's not good to work myself up right in the morning.

"Good morning." The ghoul said, coming closer to the blond to put his chin on top of the blond hair. Kaneki's antennae were twitching slightly, seemingly trying to gather more of the human's and coffee smell. Mornings like this were the best.

For a moment, Kaneki forgot about the other ghoul in the room, fawning all over Hide's with low, happy keens and clicks.

The peaceful moment was shattered to pieces with a heavy breathing and choked out words.

"I-Is that...Kaneki-kun?" Tsukiyama looked like he was about to panic any moment now. In Hide's opinion, that would be very fun to watch...but still, during their 'little chat' the violet haired man had shown that he could be trusted. 

"Yeah, but chill, man. He controls himself now." The human explained taking one of the antennae into his hand, stroking it softly. "No need to be wary of him, right 'Neki?" The blond asked tilting his head a bit.

"Mhm..." The big pet centipede murmured crossing his arms on blond's chest.

Without thinking Hide's gaze laid on a clock on the wall. "Oh shit it's six am I gotta go! And...in the end I didn't eat the freaking breakfast." 

The ghoul let his human go and made his way towards their little fridge and took out something that looked like a bento box. Could it be...?

"Here, Hide. I made you yesterday some lunch because I thought I wouldn't let you go out of bed again." The ghoul said smiling sheepishly handing him the package.

"Thank you, Kaneki! You're a lifesaver. I will compose songs about you-"

"Yeah, yeah. Just put some clothes on and go, you dork."

 

~*~

 

The blond went off to work, leaving two ghouls alone, Kaneki was sitting awkwardly on the chair with his kakuja twisted around it (what little could envelop the flimsy stool- the rest lay pulsing at his feet.) and Tsukiyama observing the unnatural kagune changes. It was quite a view to be honest, and he couldn't help but note that the way the centipede tails pierced all of his back skin now...his black suit needed some drastic changes. The awkward silence was destroyed by Kaneki's stomach protesting with gurgling noises. Kaneki winced.

"Um, sorry...I'm hungry, I used a lot of blood on Hide yesterday...I should go out today."

It's a great opportunity to see a kakuja in action, not to mention it would be just like good old days..."Monsieur, if it is okay, could I go with you?"

"Sure, let's go out at...say, ten p.m. I promised my Hide to take him out with me every time I go hunting." The hungry stare the lone red eye was giving him was making the man a bit uneasy.

"Of course Hide-kun will be going with us." ( He is the only one able to control you in this state it seems ). "Should I prepare a car?"

"No, I'd like to run. I lack some basic exercising so some jogging will do." Centipede said, popping some joints in his tail and clenching the pliers on it's end. 

"As you wish, but you must excuse me. I have some matters to attend to." The violet haired ghoul finished his coffee and proceeded to the front door. He was happy to be finally able to talk with Kaneki, but everything was a bit too much at the moment. The human, kakuja, the scent of Kaneki's blood... It also seemed that the human didn't trust him or simply saw him as a threat, he decided he should do something about it. 

 

~*~

 

Tsukiyama was scared of him, that much was obvious. Still, he decided to stick with the white haired ghoul. What a weird personality the Gourmet had.

Knowing that being at his side is extremely dangerous, and yet he deciding to stay. It always had been his personality that was the most surprising about him. 

Oh, well. Let's see how it will end.

Kaneki decided to sleep, after all without his sunflower he had nothing to do. After the ghoul curled his kakuja around himself he fell asleep, and was woken up in the evening by the familiar scent of sunflowers.

"Good evening my ferocious predator, ready for some dinner?"

The way the blond speaks to him like he was a small cat makes the white haired ghoul laugh and pout every time. He was a man-eater, not a kitten! But in the end he couldn't be angry at his human for long, and soon he was wearing some dark clothes for their 'outing'. 

One stupid cartoon that Hide insisted on watching called 'The Duck-tective' later, came Tsukiyama wearing almost black clothes that caused him to look more normal than most of the time. In his hands, the man was holding a long, dark box, which with proudness he handed off to Hide.

"I've got something for you, Hide-kun."

The blond was surprised, but nonetheless excited. He examined the box, and lightly shook it.

"What's is it?"

Gourmet just smiled, and quickly explained- seeing how fast Hide was tearing through the packaging's paper. "It took me a bit of time to acquire it, but I thought you would need it. It's an A-rated, bikaku quinque. It looks like a dagger and is suitably small so I thought it would suit you." 

"Woah! Thank you, Shuu-san! It's awesome! Look, Kaneki! I've got something to protect myself with now. Cool, isn't it?" He almost exclaimed, waving the iridescent, shining blue blade around. 

Kaneki looked at the blond's beaming eyes that made his heart melt. Then, at the living dagger in his hand.

It will protect him...  
He'll probably have it with him all the time from now on. It's only A rated, and a bikaku at that. It's really considerate of Tsukiyama...but the thought of Hide using some filthy A rated bikaku ghoul's kagune to fight made him really jealous for some reason.  
That gave him an idea though, he just have to ask the violet haired ghoul if it's possible. But that's for later, he's got an empty stomach to fill.

"What would suit your taste on this beautiful night, Kaneki-kun? A ghoul or a human, which is it?" It seemed that hiding his kagune away before the man came was a good choice, he was more relaxed and talkative.

The question made him think deeply, then he asked his human as casually as he could- "Hide, do you hate anybody? Or have somebody who has been picking on you lately?"

"Thanks for the concern, 'Neki, but I'm a delivery boy now, not a student, I don't have problems like that anymore."

"A ghoul, then," The SS rated ghoul concluded, and turned towards the older man. "Tsukiyama have you heard of some problematic ghouls in this ward?" The violet haired ghoul wasn't taken aback by the question, he knew that even if Kaneki wanted to eat ghoul meat, he would rather eat the most annoying ones first. 

"I got you a list." He said simply, giving Centipede a heavily decorated paper.

After Kaneki picked an unlucky person to be his dinner for the night, he told Tsukiyama to be at the place in an hour. It was a bit far, in an abandoned factory. There was supposed to be a ghoul luring young children there at night- and eat them slowly and painfully.

A perfect meal for Centipede. 

"See you there, monsieur, and you, Hide-kun." He gave them an energetic smile and left the apartment.

The pair followed after a few minutes of preparing- Kaneki fussing about his human's coat with the night being as chilly as it was. They made their way to the roof, and it was there Kaneki unravelled his marvellous kagune and turned to his human, armoured with his qunique. 

"Come here, my princess." He chuckled, smiling, picking up the blonde bridal-style. His human seemed as if he wanted to say something, and pouted. Kaneki laughed outright at his human's reaction.

Hide became slightly more pink. "Dork, why couldn't we get a car like Shuu-san?" Even though he complained the blond let the ghoul lift him and got comfortable in his arms.

"Because I want to show you something you're gonna enjoy..."

Having said that the ghoul jumped off the roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyahahaha! What's gonna happen in the next chapter?  
> Will there be gore? Will there be fluff? 
> 
> I̴̪̗͝'͍m̫̰͔̯͘͜ ̩̤̤͖̦̫̲̥͢s͏̶̱̮̼͙̩̬̙̼̕u̡͉̜͇̺͎ŗ̙͎̯̝̳̯e̳͇̟̯̙͘ ̷̩͘͞y̻̯̟o̡̳̟̹̹u͇̜̫̗͚̼͍ ͙̩͙̤̩̭͕͉a̢͙̯̮͘l̷̘̘͈̭̺̥͓͚r͔̘͈̕͝e̡͎͓̰̺̠̘͍͝a̸̼̦̟̠̙̮̙͞d̢̗̱͚y͎̖̖͟͢ ̧̗̞̘̘ḳ͖͙̜͘n҉̝̥̳̥̥͖o̵̫̥w̶̠͙͘ͅ.̵̛̟͍̼͙̼̹̟͡
> 
> Anyway, I hope this chapter makes your day a bit better! See you in the 15th one!
> 
> This chapter was brought to you thanks to my brand new wonderful beta reader Eva.  
> She corrected all my gibberish and did an amazing job at it!


	15. A boy and his monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You should probably reread the previous chapter or this one won't make much sense to you.

"This is fucking awesome!" The human's delighted shout echoed through the dark, still air of the night - all while being held aloft by the notorious kakuja Centipede. His best friend.

For a long time now, Kaneki had known that taking care of him and his mental state was a full time job - paid or not, and while the white haired ghoul was ecstatic that Hide was always with him in his free time, he wanted to thank the blond in the best way he could manage, in a way that would ingrain itself into the blonde's memory. 

So seeing how enthralled Hide was every time he was allowed to touch or hold his intricate kagune, it wasn't difficult to come up with the perfect gift.

Kaneki was currently leaping from rooftop to rooftop of the steel and plaster bones of abandoned buildings built to tower over the streets below. Every time his kagune threw the pair across a chasm between the buildings to a faraway edifice, Hide's laughter and giddy gasps tore through the night air like ringing bells. Their height ensured a passer-by would be unable to make out much of anything besides the violet blur and its sunny companion. As it was, the streets below were almost swallowed in the murk of late evening.

The blond had managed to clamber out of Kaneki's armhold onto the massive kakuja's base in a sort of straddling pose, almost hanging off the monstrous serpent-like tail. Two normal rinkaku curled around the blonde in an embrace of cuddly limbs in the case Hide were to slip. Kaneki's back was blanketed by the blonde's front while hands were thrown in the air- gesticulating wildly to other places to fling themselves towards. The wind had blown back Hide's unruly bangs- tiny tears gathered at the blonde's eyes from the sheer velocity and chill of the night.

Kaneki was really quite pleased with his idea - he had been thinking about taking Hide on a 'ride' for a while now, and the hunting seemed to be the perfect occasion. The human was having even more fun than Kaneki thought possible, screaming constantly and wriggling from time to time in his tight hold.

"Kah-Kanekiii once more please!!!" It seemed that jumping from extremely high places was the thing Hide liked the most- and to be honest, Centipede was getting a little bit exhausted from continuous climbing with additional load squirming on his back, but who was he kidding- he would do it as much as he could if that's what made his human happy.

"O̡kay͢, but it̛'͞s̸ t̢h͟e l͠a҉şt o͢n̴e.̨ ̴We'̷r͢e͡ a͠lr͠e͠ady̡ la̧te, ͏y̢ou d̸o͏rk҉.͢" The ghoul answered, smiling under his mask, slithering up and onto a nearby vent to give his Hide a better view around the area.

"Sure, sure." Hide laughed, still a little winded, and looked around them like a child in a theme park- searching for the perfect perch. The blond looked simply astonishing with his short blonde bangs fluttering around him, cheeks flushed with red from the chill and the tiny gasps of breath from exhilaration. Kaneki wished for nothing else than to keep it all to himself, this beauty. His marvelous treasure.  
Seeing his human this joyful made a spark of possessiveness light up in ghoul's dark mind. After all, he and he alone can witness this amazing sight. His human was truly perfect.

His musing were interrupted by Hide's cheerful laughter and a hand waving just in front of the one eyed mask. "There! Kaneki, the church, over there!" The blond was trembling in his grasp, heart hammering on his back like the wings of a bird. Obviously the adrenaline was beginning to affect him - humans aren't meant to endure such force from great heights, after all.

The ghoul just let a warped giggle out at the eagerness of his human, securing and adjusting his limbs' hold on the other yet again before flinging them both off the vent's lip into the murk of the abandoned district. It had been abandoned for a while now - when its' enormous factory was closed, all its workers living in nearby homes had been forced to move out. It was a broken part of the ward now, a ghost of its former self and forgotten among the new.

In other words, it was the perfect playground for a boy and his monster. 

Kaneki rolled onto a flat rooftop, clutching the blonde to him tightly. Not to lose momentum, he snagged his kagune on the building's thick plating, launched himself forward, and suddenly leapt towards the old cathedral with a screaming blond on his back. 

Centipede slid and slithered his way up the spire of stone, reaching the second floor and climbing its lattice of gothic supports woven with a beautiful flower design, framed by shattered and tinted glass petals. The cathedral itself was massive. By the time they finally ascended to its jagged, yet elegant, peak Kaneki was huffing for breath. 

The ancient bell strung there croaked with the brush of his massive kagune wrapping around it absentmindedly while their owner scanned the area, high up enough to let them both see the most of the ward. Hide was mesmerized with the scenario and the fact that his best friend was now better than Spiderman himself. The blond put his hands on ghoul's shoulders and laid his head on top of Kaneki's, what was a bit hard now thanks to his red antennae curling and twitching around the human's ears as if to reassure themselves he was still there.

"Thank you, Kaneki. It's really cool." The blond admitted, leaning more into Kaneki's kagune hold. The blood-red and violet limbs shuddered with joy at the contact. Content.

Kaneki secured his kakuja on the tower's peak and crooked his head up a bit, just so he could focus on the glorious honey-coloured hair.

"I͏'m ͢g͢l̢a̸d̨ y̢o͝u li͏ke̢d̴ i͟t̢, ̶a͡re̵ yo͞u w̡i̛l͠li̡ng͢ t͏o do ͏i͏t mor͠e ͡in͝ the ͏future?"

"Am I willing? Dude, that was fucking amazing and the view is perfect and the whole night juh-just...you're amazing Kaneki. Truly amazing." The human half muttered the last part, fruitlessly trying to hide the ever creeping blush on his cheeks and ears.

Who could blame him? Emotions blossomed in his chest faster than he could name them. Serenity, excitement, awe and some joyful swelling in him, that made him look at Kaneki with admiration, and...

Kaneki let his mask melt off, and as most of the time when he was in his kakuja state, he let the antennae stay. The blood red appendages looked gorgeous against the snow-white of Kaneki's hair. 

Before he could manage to protest he was again in Kaneki's arms, only to be placed delicately down on the cathedral's roof. Kaneki's kagune looped themselves around the blonde's waist, pulling him into Kaneki's front. They were very close, so much that a pale nose brushed against a tan, freckled one. The silence was shared intimately for what felt like hours. 

Kaneki glanced down, with something akin to his long forgotten shyness in his mismatched eyes. After a moment of silence disturbed only by the quiet, cool wind brushing their faces the ghoul spoke up. 

"T-Thank you...For everything...really. For being with me, and caring, and...just everything." Centipede finished, hiding his rosy cheeks in the honey-gold fluff that was Hide's hair.

"You're welcome, Kaneki- but, you know...you know, you don't have to thank me right? After all, this goes both ways doesn't it?" Kaneki's head moved lower so he was now nuzzling the blond's hair, making soft purring noises- only for the blond to hear. 

His blood's smell is still thick on him. 

Good. But still not enough. 

"On the other hand...cah-can you get us down?" The blond said, holding his friend even closer. "It's kinda chilly up here, huh?"

Kaneki willed for his mask to form, gathering the human in his arms while laughing softly. "Yo̡u̷ t̢o͏ld͝ ̴me҉ to ̧climb͠ it ҉thoug͡h͝,͞ ͝yo͏u ͏ņerd̨." 

"Well, yeah, but-!" The blond's rumbling was quickly stopped by an even louder noise coming from Kaneki. Both of them looked at each other in a shock. "Dude...was that possibly...your stomach?" 

The ghoul looked away embarrassed and betrayed by his own body. Again. 

Being secured by Kaneki, the human lifted his hands to cup his best friend's cheeks, pulling lightly on the pale flesh until Kaneki returned his gaze. "No. It's my fault. I forgot you were really hungry, and made you run and jump like crazy. It's okay, all right?"

Centipede's posture relaxed a bit and he answered with a swift nod. The blond smiled and rested his chin on Kaneki's shoulder. "Let's go and get you something to eat, then."

Kaneki once again got his human into his favorite princess hold and hugged him closely to his chest, burying his head into the soft locks and murmured in a voice only meant for the fragile one in his arms. "R̕ea͏d̶͢͠y̵?" To which blond curled even more to the muscular frame.

The centipede tail unwrapped from the pinnacle and gathered around its owner- coiling to give the jump as much force it could provide the ghoul with. The curled mass stilled suddenly and in a blink of an eye the two of them were shooting towards the factory outlined by the silver glaze of moonlight.

Hide loved the moments when they were about to land - Kaneki would strike the ground before them split seconds before touching ground, reducing the impact and smoothly skidding to a stop on skittering concrete. The adrenaline-rushed jump became nothing more than a smooth slide onto ground. Hide was hardly jostled. 

When they drew near the abandoned building, Kaneki spotted a surprisingly flashy, black limo. Tsukiyama exited the car and looked around, smiling slightly. He was clearly more filled up, his cheekbones not so sharp anymore and his skin a healthy colour. 

Could it be...he was the cause?

No. He shouldn't think about this right now. A-rated ghoul or not, a battlefield is a battlefield and a moment of inattention could mean death and especially while being with Hide, he had to be super focused.  
His antennae twitched wildly and suddenly he picked up the smell of fresh human and ghoul meat. It made his mouth water and his neck itched a bit in a weird, familiar way. 

What was that...? Never mind...now is not the time.

The ghoul lifted a hand to Hide's head, bringing the blonde tuft in so as to keep their conversation private…

"O͏k̸ay̛, i̸t'͡s o͝ņly on͡e ͡g̸hou̶l bu͝t w͡e̴'r͠e g̢oi̧n̡g͞ ͡ţo t̸a̧k̵ę ͡tḩis as ͡s̡e͞ri̷ously̵ ̴a͞s a͢lw̡ays,͏ ͢y̴ou͟ ̡he͏ar͠ me̛? Hi͏de̕?" The ghoul asked, worried but confident. Hide would be fine. He had him here.

"Yeah, man, I get it. I'm not as invincible as you, Mr. Super Ghoul." The blond snickered at the eye roll he got for his efforts.

"I ͞me̷an͝ i͞t̕, H͡id̷e, I̛ d̕on't ͏wa̷nt y͡ou̶ hur̛t ͡i͢n͠ ̧any̡ wa͝y.̕ ̧More͠ove͡r͢-͝"

"Yeah, yeah I get it." The blond reiterated, nuzzling into Kaneki's neck. "Promise." 

Satisfied with his human, Kaneki was visibly slowing down, jumping from the last building separating them from the violet haired ghoul standing next to the fancy car. If Gourmet was shocked and scared, he hid it fairly well. For a second he did something akin to a shiver but quickly stilled and smiled to the two. 

"Bonjour, Kaneki-kun, Hide-kun." The man nodded towards him then to the blonde hidden in his hold. 

"Oh hi Shuu-san. Ken, can you let me down?" The blond said sheepishly seemingly no longer past being embarrassed about his best friend's antics. After the blond was released, Kaneki took off his mask and walked towards the other ghoul. "We're going to do as we planned and remember, if you find that Hide's in danger drop everything you're doing and help him, are we clear?" It was more a statement than a question, so there wasn't really any room for argument. Tsukiyama nodded in agreement.

"Oui, monsieur. Shell we start then?" The ghoul asked putting his crescent mask on. Though Hide couldn't see his face now, he could say the ghoul was smiling widely under the little piece of art. 

Kaneki willed his mask to appear yet again.

"Y͟es̵.̨ ̨L̢e͏t̡'͡s g҉o."

 

~*~

 

In the gigantic warehouse, countless boxes were scattered all over the floor in big piles and the light was turned on only in one corner of the building, so it was fairly easy to guess where the ghoul was. With a gesture Kaneki ordered Gourmet to guard the door if something went wrong. The violet haired ghoul wasn't happy at his role in the plan, mainly because he wanted to have a close look on his little master fighting, but it was Centipede decision to make. If Kaneki-kun wanted him stay back and focus on backing his human friend up, so be it. Tsukiyama understood the attachment, after all he had the Little Mouse as a good friend for a few years now. Though he knew the blond was anything but a normal human.

 

~*~

Two freshly brewed cups of coffee were placed on top of small wooden counter next to a sleepy blond with contrastingly focused eyes. The friendly atmosphere from just a minute ago had disappeared, leaving cold silence in its wake. Tsukiyama joined the human and sat right next to him. They sat in silence for a bit until Gourmet decided it would be rude not to at least try to hold the conversation.

"So, Hide-ku-"

"Will you also try to take him from me?" The human stated, interrupting the ghoul. Tsukiyama was taken slightly aback and with a swift gesture he gestured for the blond to continue. 

"Will you be like Touka and try to take him away?" The blond repeated with a blank stare focused on the black liquid in his cup. 

"I know nothing about what that girl did, something foolish I presume. And as for your first question - I don't want to do anything but be able to be allowed to serve young Kaneki. That's what I've been doing for quite a time now and would like to do as long as I can or Kaneki-kun wants me to. What do you mean that Touka girl tried to take him away from you?" Hide visibly relaxed though the room was still full of stiff air. 

"Touka-chan was one of the first ones who knew that Kaneki survived the Raid. She visited us and decided that I have bad influence on Kaneki. Then she decided to take my best friend with her, hell knows where and what for." Hide clenched his fists under the counter and had a grimace on his face as if he was thinking about some repulsive trash. 

Tsukiyama listened patiently and felt like from Hide's behavior he could already deduce the ending to that story. 

"She was taken care of but I can't allow a situation like that to re-occur." He said turning left to look intently into the ghoul's eyes. "What do you plan on doing with Kaneki?" 

If it was a normal talk, he would try being funny and flirty to change subject, he still didn't know the answer himself and why should he tell some random human such private things. But this was no normal human, he acted like he was the stronger and bigger one, making Tsukiyama feel the first hints of submission. This human was dangerous, but then again he was chosen by Centipede. There was no way for a commoner to control a monster lurking in the small white haired body and its vibrant mind.

"I don't...know." He admitted slowly. "I just feel that being able to be near him makes me...happy...? Non, more like at peace." He looked down for a moment and continued. "I don't want to take him away from you, Hide-kun or take your place. I promise." The blond's eyes softened and he smiled a bit.

"That's good. Thank you for telling me that. I hope you don't change your mind anytime soon." The human said the last part in a voice that sent cold shivers down the violet haired ghoul's back.

"I won't." 

This human can't be underestimated.  
The boy truly is a monster tamer. 

"But most of his old friends from Anteiku think they know Kaneki better, better than me at last. Most of them assume they know what is best for him. That's why it's important not to let others from the shop find him. Do you get everything I told you?" 

Tsukiyama nodded and that's when he heard quite loud rattling. What he saw made him more scared than he thought possible.

And the peaceful morning continued.

 

~*~

 

The ghoul was eating messily, to say at least. A young girl, hardly nine or ten by the looks of her, was laying on the cold cement floor, her limbs and organs scattered around the slovenly clothed man and some of her entrails still linked to her stomach when they were being eaten by the ghoul.

It made Kaneki sick, and even though he himself wasn't the most sane person he knew, Centipede felt that the "Kindergartener" as the CCG called him, must be exterminated. 

Kaneki lifted his best friend from the floor with his rinkaku and set him down on top of one of the box piles in one of the dark corners - he could still see everything but the ghoul wouldn't notice nor smell him from there. Although the plan didn't involve Hide actually fighting, the human took out his bikaku quinque and was curled defensively.

Kaneki, pleased by his human's actions, took his time walking towards Kindergartener, he wasn't only hungry right now. 

He was pissed off. 

How dare this lowlife target only the youngest, purest beings just for the already immense pleasure of eating?

Getting closer and closer, he took a look at the deceased girl's body, he wasn't that impressed or repulsed, after all he saw an awful lot of corpses throughout his life as a half ghoul. Suddenly he wrinkled his nose and interested in his own response he took a sniff again. 

The girl's blood wasn't appetizing to him anymore. He still wouldn't mind taking a few bites himself but the meat that was smelling like a fucking ambrosia right now was the man kneeling next to the dead body, feeding on it.

What a weird thing has he became...not only monster for his ex-species but also for ghouls. But he welcomes the changes now, they lend him the power to keep his Hide safe and happy.

Centipede smirked toothily under his mask. Now was the time to feast!

Kaneki's face morphed into a pleased grin stretched more than humanly possible noticing that his soon to be late dinner didn't became aware of his presence at all.

"W͡o̷uld y̴o͢u minḑ s̡ha͢rin͡g?̴" The white haired boy asked quietly, still walking in a shadow of the boxes surrounding him. Kindergartner flinched a bit, surprised by another person being in his hideout. The man crooked his neck looking at the outwardly small person, his mouth still stuffed with fresh guts. 

"Get the fuck out of here you asshole, this meat is mine. Get lost!" He shouted, trying to sound dangerous and went back to eating. The ghoul felt that something was wrong. The footsteps weren't going further but closer to him. Again, some weak little shit wanted to steal his prey. How many time this has happened already? Four, now? 

He can't blame other ghouls for gathering here, though, he knew that the smell of young children's blood was irresistible for his kind. When the footsteps stopped abruptly about five meters from him, Kindergartner snapped.

"Didn't I tell you to get-" That was when he saw the other ghoul in all its glory. No, the monster. 

The long mask with its lone, wickedly sharp mandible, its single glazed eye. The antennae that stretched from snow-white hair. Then there was the armour, covering the beast's legs, hands and sides like a thin shell of endless black and red. 

But what truly terrified him remained the long, waving kagune, barbed and covered in dark, black carapace. It twitched and croaked with every twitch as if excited at the prospect of fresh meat.

He felt his strength leave and Kindergartner managed a weak whimper.

"W-What the fuck are y-you...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so damn long! The semester is ending and I've got shit ton of work and assignments to do.  
> Oh, well.  
> This chapter contains extra fluffy fluff, 'cos I felt like writing some kanehide relationship. The other reason is that lately there's not much fluffy hidekane going on.  
> Hope I didn't make your teeth rotten!
> 
> I have to say that my beta reader - Eva, did a marvelous job. Honestly, she made my gibberish sound like a freaking book. 
> 
> Also, as always hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you think!
> 
> [I've got a rough plot planned out for the next chapters but if you want me to include something in the story write it in the comments!]


	16. The roots that make the pavement bleed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Hello boys and girls. I hope you are hungry.  
> -I'm starving!  
> -Starving fore gore? 'Cos that's what I'm gonna write.

"Pe͜op̨le ļike͞ you ̛a͜re͡ ̸e̸veryw͠h͢ere͘.̴ ̢F̷iļt̸hy͞, dis͝gu͏s͏tin͘g ͝p͠ig͞s͢. But.͞..͢you kn͟ow," The white-haired ghoul paused briefly to inspect his own, kagune-clad talons, "I͠t͏'s ̕a҉l͘s͡o b̛eca͜u̵sę o̡f 'p̕e̵opl͞e̴ like y͟ou҉'͠ that w̶ȩ'r̡e ͏a҉l͢l bei͏ng hunt̶ed,͡ li̷k͝e a͡n͞im̛a̸l͡s, ̛l̶i͜k͜e beas̶ts͟."

Kaneki unconsciously moved closer, antennae tilting and twitching in anticipation, the monstrous kagune creeping independently along chipped concrete floor on ragged and mutated legs. The promise of a fresh meal in the air. The lighting cast warped shadows onto the floor around them, the orange, flickering glow making the space feel almost drowsy despite the bloodlust hanging in the dusty air.

Kindergartner eyed the centipede warily, eyes cowed and flicking back and forth, survival instincts kicking in in the face of a much more dangerous predator. The sole, glassy eye, blankly focused on him, pinned him to the spot while staring him down unblinkingly.

Feet shuffled in the sloshed gore of what had been an innocent child, the squelching of it drawing Kaneki's interest, and in equal amounts his revulsion. The centipede kagune chittered quietly while the sharper, wicked rinkaku kept Kindergartner's attention. The violet-shelled limbs snaked through abandoned cardboard boxes and crates silently, circling around their unknowing prey. Kindergartner jumped when the rinkaku clicked, tapping on the stone floor, attention torn away by the other speaking.

"I̸'̸m̛...C͢e͝n͘ti͟pede, ̴b̶y̴ the͏ ͏way. Ah͡, bu̴t͜ ̵pl͏ea̧s̷e͞ ͜don't̛ get̛ ̵the͏ ͢wr̨oņg̕.҉.̕.imp̨r͏es̨si͜on." Kaneki hummed, walking towards the ghoul in front of him, steps soft and patient. "L͜ow͞lif̨e̵ 'ghouls'͟ ̸l̕i̕k͟e ̛yo̵ur҉se͟l̴f̢ don't͝ ̧n̛ęed ҉t͠o͟ ҉k̴no̵w m̡y n̵a҉me.̶" the sickeningly sweet aroma was strong and heady now, causing his antennae to curl in delight...had he ever really thought ghoul meat was rancid, dislikeable?

Kindergartner snarled, finally at his wits end, snapping out. "If yer'a ghoul like me, what the hell- why are you doing this?" Kaneki didn't answer at first, drawing in the heady, sweet scent of ghoul meat, a smile drooling onto his face, one filled with hunger and teeth.

"It ̢͜d͜o͜e͟s̴͞n͡'̢̡͜t̕͢ ̷̧͘con҉c̸e͢r̷n ͏y̷o͘u̸҉.̴͟.͜.̵̨" Centipede warbled, smirk making the other ghoul more skittish by the second, like a rabbit.

Rabbits?

Oh, yes. Rabbit sounded so good…

She was so tasty~

The meat so tender. The blood so warm.

The circle Kaneki's kagune made was slinking tighter with visible impatience, goaded by his traitorous thoughts to speed up the hunting, unbeknownst to the ghoul caught in the center of it.

“I'll share with ya, I promise! Ya’ll can take everything from my reserves! Just leave me alone!” At this, Centipede stopped in his tracks- tilting his head like a curious, ravenous animal.

“R͜ese͟rve̛s̕,̵ you͢ ̧say?̨” The man pulled himself up and smiled weakly. "Y-yea', I provide some really famous ghouls with the best meat. That's how I survived for so long in here, ya know."

...Famous ghouls huh? So he must be working with Aogiri for sure, after all beside me, there are not many widely known ghouls. 

...993...

The pincers on the end of his centipede tail twitched nervously, spooked, but after a moment they stilled and relaxed. 

It's okay, I'm no longer there...and they, they aren’t the strong ones anymore. They’re weak now. 

Everything is getting quite interesting, isn't it?

“A̕ņ͟͜d̕ ̸͘wh̶̷e͞r͟ȩ a̴͡re͟͢ ̸y̶̛̕ou̕r̴̴ ̶̧͝r͢e҉s̨̢ou͏̕rc͘͝e͘s,͘ ̸̧͜m̶͝͏a̵͟͞y̷ ͏̨I̷҉ a̢̢sk?̡͟" The weaker ghoul remained motionless for a second, then eyed the monster, focusing on the dark violet-red armor enveloping its apparent thin frame. 

"Of 'course. They're in the container, right over there-" the older ghoul stretched his hand towards a pile of boxes in a faraway corner right behind Centipede. Kaneki turned his head towards the place Kindergartner was pointing at. 

Isn't it where Hide is supposed to be right now?

In the few seconds Kaneki wasn't paying attention, the ghoul, Kindergartner allowed a slightly discoloured blue koukaku to slip out, down his arm. 

It's my only chance! he thought as he lunged at Kaneki, who was still immersed in contemplating his best friend's ability to be patient for an extended amount of time. The low rated ghoul's kagune wasn’t your regular, fancy sword, but it did have everything it needed to- a sharp edge. 

Centipede didn't even make a sound when Kindergartner slit the white haired boy's throat - only half-way, unfortunately - as the living armor surrounding Kaneki took most of the damage. It still was enough for the freshly-cut trachea to stick out a bit of the bared throat and to make all Centipede's head fall backwards, spilling surprisingly little, to no blood at all, body not moving even an inch. The blow was enough to kill a low-ranked ghoul or immobile a strong one for a while, that he was sure of.

Right after taking care of the monster, the man collapsed to the ground when his knees buckled, shaking uncontrollably. "Okay, I'm okay. I'm alive." He smeared the sweat from his forehead with the long, dirty sleeve of his jacket. "So far, so good." Now he only had to disappear before this fucking monster regenerates and kills him in probably the most grotesque way possible.

What he didn't expect, when he stood up and glanced one last time at Centipede before running the fuck away, was for the monster to look at him back. That wasn't the scariest part, oh no. The white haired monster was staring at him, not with those red and black eyes, protruding from the mask, oh no, but ones that popped out from the other’s body, beading out on his upper torso, seemingly forming from the armor. 

Seven laughing stares were fixed on the man before Kaneki, curving into gleeful expressions of mirth with what made them look as if they were snickering at his idiocy. 

Slowly, the monster's hands lifted to gently grasp the severed head, pulling the slashed neck back to connect, flesh knitting back together and leaving no trace of a wound with sickening crunches and clicks. Kindergartner watched as a great gulp of air made its way into Centipede, before gently puffing out, slightly foggy from the chilled night air.

The older ghoul didn't even flinch, so mired in shock, when something grabbed him from behind and clamped around him, squeezing uncomfortably. Barbed claws dug into his sides, shocking the ghoul out of his terrified trance, thrashing weakly in the monstrous grasp. The grip was gentle but firm, keeping the old ghoul in place with a vice grip around a fat, sweaty neck.

The gleeful eyes watching him closed their lids, melting back into the armor as Centipede opened his own, the muddled but bright red iris betraying calm but murderous intent. 

 

**̛̤̻̮̫͕ͥ̃̓ͅP͌͛͐̾͌̍a̫͚̫͓̱̩ț͖̤̈́͒͑h͖͖̱̅̔é̉t̯̗̰̻ͯi̗͙̳ͧ̑̚c͉͇͎a̼̫̞̝̻ͣ̾̈́ͮ̋ͅl̦͋l̜͈̭̗̮ͣͬy̖̯͉̅ͧ̌ ̰̮͌̓̄̌̀w̟̜͐̽e̲̔ͫ̓ͥͮa̱̞͙͇͙͙k̂ͥ̾ͣ̚ ̠̇ͧg̝̗̣̖̝h̗͉͈̮̮̹͋̔ǒ̦̣̼̓u̦̬͓͈ͮͧͤ̋̓l̂ͦͤ̚s͙ͣ̽ͫ͋̽ ̦͔̝̰̣̋ͩ̄a̳̝̜̒ͯ̆́n̺̻͉͇̭ͬ͒̎ͅd̗͓̙͚͙͊̅̎ͯ̃ ̩̩͆ͦͣ̇͛̉Ã̖̹͎ͥͪͦ́ͬo̱̫͎̪͓̰̣͑̋ͬ̎g̹͔͉̥ḯ̱̲̝͙̪͛̒r̹̽ͭ̊i͎ͨ̅͒̚,̳͚̗̥̖̓͆ ͙̲̯̄͑ͦ̋ͩ̍ͣå̳ͯl̮̮̲̱̘̤ͩ̅ͤ̐ẘ͉̱̊̋͂ͅã̯̙͓̯̙̖̰́̏y̥͎s̪͔͓̦̼͖̟̈́ͯͯ̿ ̚g̬̻̪̳̈́e̦̞̊ͭ̌̚t͍̥̻̆̈́ͤ̃̽ͫ̀ͅt͍̖̳̩̥̰ͧ̔͂̍͊̉ͪi̪̯͓͋̐͒̃n̯̥̦g̰͙ͪ̐ ̰̻̥͉̝̮̙ͫ̄̅̏̒ͦ̇u͓̯ͮͯn͚̤͉̣ͤ̑̓͛̂d̥̭̭̟̤͐̿e͉͓̞̮̱ͥ̓r̰̫̤͒̓ͤ̓̍̑ ̺̞͇̞̖̲̻͑̓ṁ̤̙͓̃͌̂yͤ͑̇̉ ̳̋̔s͇͈͙̪̱̎̀͆̂͂k͕̱̯ͤ̅͌ͣ͆͐i͚͚̜̪̱̟̺ṇ̤̰̲…̟̪͙̮ͥ͌͒̿ͦ͛̽”͇͙̫̣̈́̿̅**

 

A bone popping from its socket.

 

 **“S̳̞ọ̜̩̍͂ͫͭ̈ͨ.͎̺͇̜.̝̹̞̬̻͍̎͛͗̊ͅ.̼̹̤̝̗̟̝̓̓̅i̱̘̝͋ͩ̎̓ͤ̍t͕̭͕͈ͫ̃̆͆ͭͅ'̳̋͑s̖̯̰̣̟̓ͪ̇̅ͅ ̱̗̪͉̐̀o̮͍̪̟͓ͤn̹̤̰̤̽ͨͫl̏ÿ̫̠̠̼͕̪́͒̍ͤ ̩̤͇̮͍̥̩ͯͨf͇̲̬͎̹̌̔ͨ̓a͔͓̘̖̖̟̤ͫ̒ͣͣ͋̍i̠̰̗̍ͪͫͪr͇̓̀ ̤̰͓̏̔ͮ̃̑ͤ̚I̻͓̝̗͕̼ͅ'͔͙̟̠̯̟̙̾ͭ͌́l̺̼̥͕l̠͕͓̝̖̿̎̈́ͭ͆ ͇͇̮̲̤̬̺͆͋d͕̥̱̤̤͚̰ͩ̆o̝̠͚͓̬̘͔̎͑ ̻̫̞̼͕̗̇̈́̓ͪ̄t̒̎͆͂̽̚h͚̰͚ḛ̦̬̗͙ͣ̽ͫ̉ ͍̳̅̒͊s͇̞̱̝͕̝͈̾ͬä͍́ͧͮ͆̉̾ͅm͎͎͎̮͓̼ë̱̭̺̺́̎̏,ͬ ͆̋̒i͊̂̈s̻̩̼̬ͬͮͩ̓n̬͈͍̻̯ͥ'̩̫t̤͚ ̥̟͚͉̱̫̄̎ͮ̍̅̚i̬̤̟̫͓̤̔t̝͎͍̫̞̖̐̔̎̌̈?̱͇͎̭̏̂̓̌̑̽”** Centipede muttered, speech garbled, as eight, blood-slicked rinkaku burst out, waving irritably.

~*~ 

“I'm so freakin' bored! I've been waiting here for god knows how long and it doesn't seem that Kaneki will be soon back.” Hide thought out loud, swinging his legs from a box at the top of a high pile he was currently sitting on. It wasn't that big, yet while being at its peak one could not see what was at the bottom of it. The human shivered in the chilly air, carefully fastening his jacket, simultaneously checking his pockets for something to occupy himself with. Finding solely a one piece of candy, he popped it into his mouth and laid on his back, stretching like a lazy cat. 

To be honest, he didn't think it would be so boring! He was in for the hunt, so why must he be sitting here and get more and more restless every minute. How long has he been waiting for anyway?

The blond looked at his bright orange Scooby Doo watch. Yep. It was over 15 minutes now. Way too long.

He would go right away and look around for a bit if only making Kaneki sad was out of the way. Ugh. But waiting here God knows how long is-

Suddenly the human felt the cardboard under him give in to his weight going completely flat. The unsuspecting blond landed firmly on his backside. That was the last straw.

'That's it, I'm done.' He thought getting up and slowly making his way down the pile. At some point he stopped to look around a bit, but due to the awful lighting, the blond could not see more than a few meters away. Then Hide decided to halt his movements, trying to hear something at least - still nothing."God damn it." The human murmured while deciding to simply hang around the place his friend left him at. Still, he could at last wander around for a bit right? The human clearly tried to rationalise his decisions.

When Hide was at a point when he actually wanted to go back to the peak, in the dark a blinking red light blinded him for a moment, after he came out of the state of initial shock, the human decided to check it out a bit. Walking on his toes, the blonde managed to see a machine equipped with small red LEDs and nearly as high as he was. The strange thing also seemed to have a cubic shape? Could it be?

Hide creeped closer, managing to stumble a few times. He was right, it was a giant freezer. It didn't take a genius to know what was inside considering the machine belonged to a ghoul killing kids. But why would he need a freezer though… The documents Tsukiyama provided them with said he prefered to eat the prey fresh or even alive.

Simple. It had to be for others.  
“Shit. What a messy case.”

He definitely should inform Kaneki about this, killing this guy could have troublesome consequences. On the other hand they couldn't just let him be - he was clearly immoral and inhuman to a helpless degree. He'll let his monster decide, though the blonde guesses he already knows the outcome. Oh well.

He headed towards the direction his friend had gone and didn't have to wait long to hear blood curdling cries for help. It's not like he didn't expect this, quite the contrary actually - he thought the moment Kaneki leaves screams will start. Because he didn't know the exact situation, Hide chose to lurk in the shadows until he could clearly see the unfolding scene. Hiding behind one of the old rusty container, the blond peeked right through a hole in its corner.

In his life Hide had seen many horror movies - a, b, c grade, even those that make you think ‘how could anyone think this was a good idea?’ - he had seen them all. But even that couldn't prepare him for what he was witnessing right then. His best friend sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor while his blood-red rinkaku were outstretched towards his prey, enveloping it in them, choking it and dancing under it's skin like tree roots under asphalt. The Kindergartner was currently coughing blood which made him unable to scream for a little while. How long has this been going on?

It wasn't time for thinking about that.

The blond came out of the container, taking special care in making his steps loud enough to make Kaneki aware of his presence. It seemed to work as one of his antennae twitched slightly towards him, what made the blonde worried was the lack of any other response from his best friend. The only change was that the “victim” started moaning in pain again making Hide hiss in anger at the disturbance. The human steadily came closer to the white haired boy, it was then when he heard his best friend count down from a thousand. 

How dare this filthy ghoul get him to this state?! Filled with anger and determination the blonde reached for his dagger, coming closer to the offending ghoul and unceremoniously slit his throat. As the meatsack ended screaming, the rinkaku left the mutilated body, leaving red patches in its wake.

Paying no mind to the useless corpse, the blonde came closer to his best friend, watching his steps as not to stand on any of the red appendages lying around. To an unknowing observer they may seem to be resting, but Hide didn’t need to look at them twice to know that they were just waiting for a signal, a disturbance to strike. 

As he was getting closer and closer to the one eyed ghoul, the human could hear the numbers that were muttered with more clarity, it made his blood boil like nothing else lately and instinctively made him want to sooth his best friend’s anxiety. 

He suddenly came to a conclusion that maybe he shouldn’t be spacing out at such important moment, sadly too late, as he felt himself tripping over one of the red rinkaku crawling right next to Kaneki’s feet.

Shit, he was so close!

The blonde closed his eyes and halted his breath waiting for something to happen, presumably something not quite good. Still, he trusted the monster in front of him. Or next to him. Behind him?

Hide opened his eyes without a single thought and noticed he not only still breathes, Kaneki is, as he originally thought, in front of him, but the white haired boy is staring at him pleadingly. Like a child at the foodstore would at the mother. ‘That’s freaking cute, man.’ Hide thought hiding his smirk behind his hand, looking at the ghoul foundly. The blond was also pleased to find out that while he was standing petrified in the bundle of red limbs, his best friend stopped counting and started purring in the cracked way no cat could ever copy. Knowing what the look was all about though, the blond smiled and stepped to the side, allowing Kaneki to look directly at the Kindergartner. 

“He’s all yours, Kaneki. But make it fast okay? After all Tsukiyama is waiting for us outside.” the human said affectionately. His best friend let out a cheerful thrill and creeped closer to the mutilated corpse, the closer he got, the more his kagune trashed around impatiently, eager to dig in something fresh.

As soon as the grotesque sounds began, Hide focused on finding a suitable place to sit and, considering the whole place was a dusty mess, he didn’t have much choice but sit on the floor a good ten meters from the gore fest. Only when he finally relaxed, the blonde noticed he was still holding the bloody dagger he finished the Kindergartner with. The human shook the liquid off as best as he could, just in time for his monster to finish the feast, swallowing the last parts of the man’s arm.

Before Hide could actually react, he could feel a weight on his back, making him smile contently. “Full?” He asked quietly, as if not to disturb this special moment. 

“Yea͘h,͞ ̷sor͜ry.” The human could hear shyness in his friend’s tone. He turned around to look at the white haired ghoul, yet failed miserably as Kaneki decided to lean on him even more at the same time, resulting in a bundle of human and ghoul limbs as their balance was disturbed.

Kaneki was currently lying on the floor, with his head snuggled in Hide’s belly and Hide was nearly suffocating with blood red rinkaku resting right on his face. Both of them simultaneously started to giggle like there were still sitting on that big sphere thing at the playground they used to go when they were younger. “We have to get up, ‘Neki! Tsukiyama is waiting! And-” The ghoul shouldn’t look so content and peaceful right now, they have to go! “Wait, wait, wait, wait - are you blood-drooling on my favorite sweater right now?” The blonde ruffled the snow white haired belonging to the person trying to snuggle even more into the sweater to hide the obvious red dots where he was resting his head. “Oh no mister, we’re getting up right now, I have to wash it as soon as I can - damn it!” The blonde cursed as Kaneki’s bonus appendages decided to cling to him mercilessly, immobilising him. 

After a moment of futile struggling he did only what he had left in this situation.

“TSUKIYAMA!!! COME HERE PLEASE!!!” The blonde shouted with all his might, surprisingly not disturbing his best friend’s cuddling at all. It took the Gourmet a few minutes to find them in the poorly lit hall, but when the violet haired ghoul was within the range of vision, he couldn’t stop smiling like a goofball at Kaneki’s cat-like antics. 

“Stop staring man and help me!” Hide hissed, getting more and more covered in the clingy ghoul, his inhuman appendages and the blood-drool.

When the violet haired man got close enough, he leaned towards Kaneki and whispered something in his ear. Though Hide couldn’t hear what it was with his totally average human hearing, he knew it was working, because in a few seconds the ghoul octopus was taking his tentacles off him and letting him actually get up. 

The human eyed suspiciously the two, especially his best friend who suddenly felt like getting out of the factory was the meaning of his existence. “What did you tell him?” The blonde asked suspiciously.

“Oh, nothing important. But if your need to know is really that insaciable, I’ll tell you this: You’ll know when you get home, Hide-kun.” The older man said smirking, genuinely entertained.

The human knew the ghoul enough time to know that if Tsukiyama made his mind about something, he won’t change it anytime soon. 

“Right, anyway. Tsukiyama I need you to get a few large freezers out of here. I think they belonged to the KIndergartner and contain a high amount of human meat. Guessing he is responsible for gathering it, we should leave soon, as not to meet any of his acquaintances. Can you do it, Tsukiyama?” 

“Sure, we’ll talk about everything tomorrow then.” He replied without his usual teasing. After all it wasn’t everyday to see such a thoughtful expression on that cheerful face. The oldest of the three helped them to get up and headed towards the place Hide told him the freezers were. Sparing them the last glance, the Gourmet laughed seeing the infamous Centipede clinging to Hide like a plushie and shouted. “You don’t have to wait for me, after all we had a deal didn’t we, Kaneki-kun?” Having said that the ghoul disappeared in the shadows and dusty containers leaving them alone. Kaneki answered with a simple nod, mostly to himself as the man was long gone. 

The blond crooked his neck to get a better view of the leech clutching to his belly. “What deal where you two talking about huh-?” Before the blond managed to end the sentence he was situated at the ghoul’s back, just like a few hours earlier, shouting his lungs out as the Centipede run out of the building and into the night.


End file.
